On January 26, 2008 at a festive service in the Cathedral of Saint Luke and Saint Paul in Charleston, Mark Joseph Lawrence was consecrated the 14th Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. 

Bishop Lawrence was born in Bakersfield, California, on March 19, 1950. A fifth generation Californian he was educated at California State University, Bakersfield (BA, 1976) and Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry (M. Div. 1980).  He has also received honorary degrees from Nashotah House (D.D. 2008) and Sewanee (D.D. 2009).  He has ministered in a wide variety of parish settings from suburban church plant, rural mission, inner city church, to downtown parish in California and Pennsylvania.   These include Holy Family, Fresno, CA; Saint Mark’s, Shafter, California (1981-1984); Saint Stephen’s, McKeesport, Pennsylvania (1984-1997) where he also established on Mon Valley Tri-Church Ministry taking two smaller congregations under a multi-staff network; and Saint Paul’s, Bakersfield, California (1997-2007).  Known for being a dedicated pastor-teacher, Mark also served, among many other capacities, Commission on Ministry, the Standing Committee, and the Board of Examining Chaplains, and Rural Dean.  He also served as a deputy to the General Conventions of 2003 and 2006.  He has published articles on devotional and ecclesial concerns in various periodicals.

 Mark has been married to Allison Kathleen Taylor since 1973. They have five children: Chadwick, an Episcopal priest and headmaster in Beaufort, SC, married to Wendy; they have three children;  eldest daughter Adelia, married to Stephen Matson who is planting an Anglican congregation in Southern California and also parents of three children;  middle daughter, Emily, married to Jacob Jefferis, parents of two children;  Joseph, a postualant for Holy Orders attending Trinity School for Ministry,  married to Joette, they have two children; and Chelsea, married to Jason Hamshaw, a youth minister at Prince George Episcopal Parish in Georgetown, SC. They have one child.

Mark enjoys reading on various subjects, particularly literature, biography, and history;  out-of- door activities such as hiking, backpacking, canoeing, fishing, and jogging.

Download a photograph of Bishop Lawrence.