The Reverend Mark Powell, an Episcopalian priest who arrived in Westhampton Beach this past June, was officially installed as the new spiritual leader of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Main Street earlier this month.
At the November 17 service attended by approximately 150 parishioners and Long Island Bishop Lawrence Provenzano, the Rev. Powell, who is known as “Father Mark,” officially became the new parish rector for St. Mark’s. The Rev. Powell said he plans to focus on creating more outreach programs for those in need in the community and strengthening the youth ministry for the church.
The Rev. Powell, who grew up in Belhaven, North Carolina, spent four years at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, before being officially ordained in 2007 at St. Andrew’s On-the-Sound Episcopal Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. He served the St. Andrew’s community for the next five years before taking over at St. Mark’s on June 12.
As part of his installation, which included Saturday mass, the Rev. Powell was ceremoniously presented with the keys to the church.
“I am just excited about the ministries that we are going to be taking on here at St. Mark’s and in the community we live in,” he said in a phone interview this week.
