Heading to the Army

My name is Mark Olson and I am embarking on one of the greatest adventures of my life. At the age of 38, I have six children and a beautiful wife of fifteen years. In June of this year I will enter the U.S. Army to serve as a chaplain to our troops where ever they may be.


I currently serve as the pastor of New Life Community Baptist Church in Evensville Tn. My wife and I had the privilege of starting this church from scratch over five years ago. We have seen many great and wonderful days with this church and we will be saddened when the time comes to say our goodbyes to it.


So many people have asked "why?". Why leave the area we have called home for over twenty years, and why leave such a wonderful church, and I do mean wonderful, and why put my family through such a dramatic change as this? The only answer I can give is this, when God calls, I must answer. The questions that are being asked of me now were being asked of me six years ago when my wife and I struggled to see a new church start in Evensville. But because my wife and I stepped out of the safety of the boat then, we have experienced one of the greatest rides of our lives. I will never regret having made such a choice.


The future is exciting as we step out once again and follow the Lord. We know that the future will be extremely difficult for our family at times as we face long periods of separation, but where the Lord goes, so go we. My hope and dream is this, that in the years to come I will be "bringing soldiers to Jesus and bringing Jesus to the soldiers." I can think of no greater calling than this.


Please keep my family in prayer as we look forward to this new direction in our lives. If you are reading this it is because you either have a personal interest in my family, or you have a personal interest in chaplains or the chaplaincy. If you have any advice or comments, I would love to hear from you.


In the service of our Lord Jesus Christ,


Mark Olson