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Mark and Carol Mavar

Status: On the Field

Location: North America
Field: United States
Ministry: Formal Bible Training, Assisting Pastors and Church-Planters

Bio

Bio

The Lord called Mark to the ministry from a career as a firefighter. During his four-and-a-half years of training at the Bible Institute of Grace Church of Mentor, God revealed His will for the Mavars to become church planters in Panama.

The Mavar family arrived in Panama in January 2002 and began language school. They initially worked with veteran missionaries in a church in Cerro Cama. In September 2003 they were led to start a Bible study in Valle Dorado, and the first service of La Iglesia de La Gracia de Valle Dorado was on February 29, 2004. Wednesday services began in October 2004.

After meetings were held in rented houses for a couple of years, the Lord provided land for them to purchase. They began building in August 2006 and had their first service in the unfinished building in December.

La Iglesia de La Gracia de Valle Dorado officially organized as a church with their charter service on February 29, 2008.

When David Vega was installed as pastor, Mark and Carol saw the culmination of their ministry in Panama. They had led people to Christ, seen them gathered into a church, trained a shepherd, and seen the church accept their pastor. Now the Lord has directed the Mavars to move on to another ministry.

Grace Church of Mentor Ohio (their home church), Arch Ministries, and GFA are cooperating in their new ministry of serving Hispanic churches in the USA, Latin America, and South America. In this role the Mavars seek to help in the planting of Spanish-speaking churches, translate discipleship materials, network with Bible schools, conduct seminars, encourage struggling church planters. They will be involved in Pastor David Vega’s continued education and will use Iglesia de la Gracia as a church-planting model.

The Mavars have 4 children. Their oldest, Luke, married Kara in 2007 and graduated from Bob Jones in 2011. He is now a police officer in Greenville, SC, and his wife runs her own home business. Caleb graduated from BJU in 2010 and married Shelly Barclay in 2011. They reside in Ohio, where they are both nurses.  Hannah and Hope both graduated from BJU in 2011. Hannah and Ben Pannell live in Eastlake Ohio. Hannah is a nurse, and Ben works at the Cleveland Clinic in research. Hope is married to Ben Brown, and they also reside in Ohio. Ben is a paramedic for Cleveland EMS, and Hope works as an organizational assistant and is the church choir pianist.

To view Mark and Carol Mavar's photo gallery, click the picture below.