Meet our pastor

Rev. Jeremiah Isaiah Chester

Rev. Jeremiah Isaiah Chester serves as Senior Pastor of St. Mark Baptist Church in Huntsville, AL. He became a licensed minister at the age of 14. Pastor Chester has always had a heart for reaching people in the community in which he serves. As such, he led a team which founded, Roosevelt Leadership Academy for Young Men at Roosevelt Middle School in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Academy was designed to prepare middle school male students for education and life by exposing them to community and culture. In addition, he served as Administrator and Magnet Coordinator for the school. In the fall of 2012, he was honored as one of South Florida’s Black Leaders Under 40 of Today and Tomorrow by Legacy Magazine of the Palm Beach Post. 


Pastor Chester is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, ALL and Princeton Seminary in Princeton, NJ. He is finishing up a PhD in Religion and Practice at Fordham University, New York. 

 

On July 20, 2013, he married the former Ms. Brittannie Stanley of Leighton, AL. Dr. Brittannie Chester, a graduate of the PhD program at Auburn University, is Director of Dietetics at Tuskegee University. She is also Founder and Director of Chester Nutrition Counseling, specializing in diabetic health and education. They are the proud parents of Josiah Wayne Chester.


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meet the executive team

  • Matthew L. Davis - Minister of Discipleship

    Minister Matthew L. Davis is a native of Brooklyn, New York, and is the only child of Rev. Melvin and Mrs. Sharon Davis. He is a graduate of City University of New York-Brooklyn College (B.A., Childhood Education, Music) and George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University in Waco, Texas (Master of Divinity). He was licensed to the Gospel ministry at the Christ Fellowship Baptist Church on May 17th, 2015 by his pastor, Rev. Dr. David L. Kelley II, and the Christ Fellowship family.


    His ministerial experience includes Worship Leader and Youth Leader at Christ Fellowship Baptist Church; Associate minister at Toliver Chapel Baptist Church (Waco, Texas), Minister of Music at Greater Bosqueville Baptist Church (Waco, Texas), and Worship Coordinator of Chapel Services at George W. Truett Theological Seminary (Waco, Texas). 


    Minister Davis serves as Minister of Discipleship and Worship Leader at St. Mark. Through discipleship and music, it is an honor to help connect people to people, people to ministries, and people and ministries to resources that grow us as servants, leaders, and disciples. 


    One of his favorite passages of Scripture is Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify Your God in Heaven.” “In all I do, God be Glorified and let my life reflect You.”


    You can contact him through email at mdavis@stmarkhsv.com.

  • Sophia Heulett-Jones - Minister of Students

    Sophia Heulett-Jones has served as the Director of Student Ministries at St. Mark Baptist Church since December 2018, under the pastoral leadership of Pastor Jeremiah Chester. Sophia is a native of Huntsville, AL and is the granddaughter of the late Rev. L. F. Lacy of Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church where he pastored for 30 years. Sophia was born and raised in Union Chapel where she was baptized, and found her passion for ministry. Sophia has served in ministry for the past 17 years and has served in various areas from children’s ministries, youth ministries, collegiate ministries and lead as a praise and worship leader.


    She received her Associate Degree from J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College of Huntsville, AL where she served as the 2008 Ms. J.F. Drake State. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree at Athens State University in Athens, AL majoring in Business Management with a Minor in Psychology and Religion.


    As the Director of Student Ministries, I call it privilege and an honor to help lead children and youth to Christ, as we CONNECT, GROW and SERVE God together!


    Sophia has been married to the love of her life Donta for the past 9 years where they reside in Huntsville, AL. They are the parents of three beautiful children: Saniyah, Skylar and Denver.


    You can contact her through email at students@stmarkhsv.com.

  • ladonna cooley - executive administrator

    After more than 18 years of living and serving in ministry in Indiana and Georgia, LaDonna counts it a blessing to be back serving in her native North Alabama home. Being raised in Town Creek and Decatur, Alabama, she was taught, by the example of her family, to be a builder in The Kingdom of God, and she grew in her passion to serve The Lord through her spiritual gifts.  


    From The University of Alabama Culverhouse School of Business, and Computer Science, in Tuscaloosa, LaDonna brings to St. Mark, many years of experience of market place administration, serving on several Nonprofit Organization Board of Directors, and helping ministries to develop and accomplish the mission of spreading The Gospel of Jesus Christ and impacting lives through increasing resources and programs into communities.


    The Executive Administrator plays an instrumental role to proactively build and maintain ministry internal systems, by supporting and working with the pastoral staff, in the organizational development and administration of the ministries of St. Mark. 


    For more than 20 years now, LaDonna has been blessed to serve in ministry and be married to her husband Marcus, with the joy of their lives, two sons, Chosen and Christian.


    You can contact her through email at admin@stmarkhsv.com.

  • Justin Vaughner - DIRECTOR of production

    Justin grew up in the small town of Whitehall Alabama. He was very active in ministry’s in his home church, Morning Star Baptist Church, such as the youth choir, male chorus, ushering, and church drummer.


    He received a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Alabama A and M university and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in systems and material engineering. Justin is an experienced photographer, videographer, and certified UAS drone pilot.


    Justin has been married for almost 11 years to his lovely wife Lenese. They have two sons: Justin II and Jeremiah.

  • Jonathan & Mollie BEach - Digital MEDIA Creators

    Jonathan and Mollie both grew up in Waycross, Georgia, where they were both active in their home church. They both moved to Valdosta, Georgia for college. Jonathan received his degree in Mass Media: Video Production while Mollie received hers in Middle Grades Education. 


    The siblings formed their own business, The Digital Shore, in 2015, which provides digital media such as custom graphics and videos. They connected to Pastor Chester soon afterward and are proud to have been contributing to St. Mark's vision ever since. 

PASTOR EMERITUS

Dr. John L. Clay

Dr. Clay served St. Mark faithfully for 35 years until his retirement in December 2014. Under his leadership the church experienced physical and spiritual growth especially in the areas of organization and christian education. Many ministries were started as well as a full time child development center that is still in existence today. He has served multiple tenures as Moderator of the Mallard Creek Association. On January 29, 2016, St. Mark honored Dr. Clay by naming him Pastor Emeritus. Dr. Clay is currently presently serving as President of Huntsville Bible College as well as Transition Pastor as needed for area churches.