My name is George Noren and I am the newly elected Junior Warden.  I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know a little about myself.  I am what some would call a “cradle Episcopalian” meaning I was baptized and raised in the Episcopal Church.  I have attended St. Mark’s for the last 14 years and have served on the vestry twice before.  I look forward to serving the church again and as Junior Warden would ask if you have any questions or notice anything that needs fixing in the church please contact me either at 542-2837 or e-mail me at nabbygln@aol.com.

Bruce Fahnestock

Bruce was received into the Episcopal Communion at The Church of the Ascension, Lexington Park Maryland, in 1972. While at Ascension he performed the Annual Audit, sang in the choir, and served several years as Lay Delegate to the convention. In 1978 his letter was transferred to Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax, Virginia where he joined the Music Ministry; singing in the choir and playing guitar and sang with the Worship Team. Since joining St. Marks, Bruce has been a Lay Delegate to the Convention twice, cooked in support of dinners as well as done projects around the church such as painting the Cross on the east side so that it could be seen from Murfreesboro Road.
He spent thirty-five years in the financial community, beginning in 1971 in New York City and retiring in 2006 from Volunteer Corporate Credit Union Nashville Tennessee as the President/CEO. During his career he served on or was Chairman of a number of national financial associations.
Bruce is particularly excited to serve Vestry at St. Marks at this important period of growth in the parish and the anticipated expansion of the church building. He is committed to proper stewardship of the resources that God has provided.

Why I wanted to be on the Vestry and How about you.

During the last 40 or so years since my being received into the Episcopal Church I have been involved in many church activities.  Ranging from church league softball (you talk about competitive) to doing annual parish audits.  Being on the Vestry just was not something I wanted to do, until last year that is.

My career has always been in the financial arena, so when Father Battle told us that St. Mark’s really needed to move forward with a capital program. He said: “What if we had thirty more people show up on Sunday or got five more in our Sunday School Class or could finally move our children out of that trailer?”  I knew my financial background would be helpful.  What about all the other things the Vestry has to deal with?  Oh That!  Having watched Cyndy come home totally worn out from Vestry meetings I was not so hip to the idea.  Understand if you will, I am an introvert and meetings just drain all the life out of me.  Was there a place for me on a Vestry?  Heck I am a sinner (we all are, remember).  Will God call me like he called the specific tribes of Israel to build his temple?  Oh, it must be prayer time.  I prayed and fought with myself about the commitment of time and talent: three years, oh, oh, oh.   I talked to then current Vestry members, to Father Battle and then it hit me.

“Who shall I send,” and I found myself saying, “send me.”  And the congregation was kind enough to elect me.  Has it been trying? Yes it has.  Has it been rewarding?  So much So.  Am I slowly learning about myself and my place?  Probably not as fast as the other Vestry members would wish.  Am I thankful to God for giving me such forgiving and loving new friends?  Sure am. 

Yes, you should ask yourself if you have something you can do to help direct the Spiritual, Congregational and Administration aspects of our wonderful parish.  In the next few months pray and consider that this may be the best time of your Christian walk.  A time for you to make the difference in the future of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, its facilities, its mission, and its service to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  This year, as is normal, there will be three positions to fill.  Please consider the call.

Bruce Fahnestock

Marcia Williams has been a communicant (and unofficial photographer) at St. Mark's for several years. 

            Born in Boston (MA) on the eve of World War II, she attended both the Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland.  She moved to Kentucky during the war and grew up in Paducah with the four baby sisters who joined the family after the war. 

She met Jerry Williams at Western Kentucky University; they married in 1955 at the end of their freshman year.  They moved to Nashville "for one year," so Marcia could accept a Carnegie Fellowship.  Jerry, a jazz musician, was a school band director for many years and later a community education coordinator; Marcia taught school and then went to work for NCR in customer support/programming. 

Their Jenni was born in 1965, and Chris came along 4 years later.  After he was in school, Marcia worked as a substitute teacher, a human resource professional, an executive assistant, and finally, director of communications for a professional association. Jerry passed away in 1987.

Their children are both married, each with one son and one daughter.  Jenni and Joe live in Tampa with Patrick (a sophomore at Florida State) and Erin, a freshman at Tampa Catholic.  Chris and Tiffany live in Columbia with Andrew (a senior at Tennessee Tech) and Cameron, an 8th grader at Spring Hill MIddle School. 

For much of the past decade, Marcia edited two quarterly publications - one for the state professional association and the other for an international music fraternity - working from home in very comfortable clothes!  Since her “series of unfortunate events” in 2009, she no longer does the publications.  She finds herself busy, though, by volunteering with TPAC, Nashville Symphony, Room in the Inn, Second Harvest, Street Theater, Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity, and Thistle Farms.  She also cherishes her membership in Daughters of the King.

After periods in the Baptist and Methodist churches and a dry spell with no church, she came to St. Mark's seeking spiritual guidance and a church home.  She has found both in the community of St. Mark's.