As a youngster, I was reared in a Catholic home. However, while serving in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam conflict, I heard the gospel and began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and was immediately baptized by immersion and discipled in a conservative Baptist Church. Within a few short months of completing my duty with the U.S. Navy, I enrolled in the California Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary where I obtained a Th.B., Th.M., then a Th.D. majoring in Theology and minoring in Bible languages and served as a faculty member for eight years.

During my 48 years of active ministry, I primarily served as a Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor in four Southern California churches. Then in late 1997, God led me and my wife to Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California where we learned of the philosophy of a purpose-driven church. I felt the Holy Spirit move me to continue on this path and went on to attend numerous conferences at Saddleback Church. I went on to personally lead seminars and conferences in order to develop my leadership and preaching skills to continue to reach people for Christ in an impactful way. In 2004, I founded The Bridge Church in Corona, a non-denominational church which launched its services with just 4 people.

The church went on to grow to hundreds of members and attenders thriving though meaningful connections by staying connected with God's word, His people and through intentional service to the Corona community in Southern California. Throughout my 17 years leading this church, we strove to make a meaningful impact in the lives of the church members and attenders as well as the local community through homelessness programs, mentoring new church leadership, counseling individuals and couples while supporting the church body through some of the most challenging times both in individual lives and throughout the world during the 2008 Great Recession and the 2020 COVID pandemic.

After years of faithfully leading the church, and with the support and love from the church family, in early 2020 with the support of the church, I hired an associate pastor whom I successfully mentored, helping him to build his ministry and skills in a church leadership role. When in 2022, I felt God leading me to retire, I witnessed the success of this mentorship and the leadership and community foundation that was built, when the associate pastor was unanimously called to lead the church, which is still thriving today. I hope that the materials I've created over the years helps you in your ministry and allows you to lead more people to Christ.

God Bless,
Dr. Mark S. Jackson