Mark & Erin Clark
Mark Clark founded Village Church, a multi-site church with locations in multiple cities across Canada and online around the world, that seeks to reach skeptics and challenge Christians. He is now one of the Senior Pastors at Bayside Church in Sacramento, California. He is the author of The Problem of Jesus (Zondervan, 2021) and The Problem of God (Zondervan, 2017) winner of the 2018 Word Award for Evangelism. His new book The Problem of Life: How to Find Identity, Purpose, and Joy in a Disenchanted World is now available as of February 18, 2025.
Mark has been the subject of several articles in Christianity Today and Outreach Magazine voted him one of the Top 26 Leaders to Watch. He has three beautiful daughters with his wife, Erin.
Mark's passions are connecting the message of Jesus to our culture, inspiring and training leaders, apologetics, marriage counseling, and working to see our world influenced by the gospel.
Here is what people are saying about Mark:
"Mark Clark represents a powerful new voice connecting a generation of skeptics to the timeless truths of the Bible with a passionate, articulate, and culturally relevant ethos that is sorely needed in our increasingly post-Christian world. He’s a voice we will be hearing from for decades to come. It's no wonder that despite its location in one of the most secular and diverse cities in North American, huge crowds flock to his church and tune into his podcasts each week"
~Dr. Larry Osborne, Author and Pastor, North Coast Church, Vista, CA
Mark is one of the next generations best communicators...honest, inspirational and encouraging.
~Ray Johnston, Senior Pastor, Bayside Church, author of The Hope Quotient
"I’m a big fan of Mark Clark. He speaks provocatively to seekers and skeptics. Every emerging generation needs fresh voices to help illuminate our path with Jesus and I believe, Mark Clark is one of those voices."
~Daniel Fusco, Lead Pastor, Crossroads Community Church, author of Honestly.
"If anyone is able to refresh the apologetics dialogue these days, it's Mark Clark. Raised in an atheist home in a post-Christian nation, his radical conversion to Christianity is enough in and of itself. But having planted one of the largest and fastest growing churches in secular Canada, Mark is on the front lines of leading thousands of people who are far from God to a vibrant faith in Jesus Christ."
~Carey Nieuwhof, Author and Founding Pastor, Connexus Church
The Problem of Life (2025)
Understand what it means to embrace your humanity, with all its joys, sorrows, and uncertainties.
Compelling answers to your biggest questions about life.
The Western world faces unprecedented levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Despite advancements in wealth, knowledge, and longevity of life, many feel their lives lack significance, leading to a deep longing for fulfillment and happiness.
In The Problem of Life, author Mark Clark recounts a pivotal moment when he mistakenly informed a woman of her husband's death. This profound mistake taught him invaluable lessons about existence and purpose. He argues that our relentless pursuit of money, family, and friendships--while important--often distract us from what truly matters, leaving us disenchanted.
What if we could address this inner ache? What if we could discover our true place in the world?
In this final book of a trilogy which began with The Problem of God, Clark presents 11 practical principles to help us flourish. He explores foundational topics like our origins, identity, and the meaning of suffering while drawing from biblical theology, psychology, and engaging stories, like:
- His battle with Tourette Syndrome and how it made him a better preacher and person.
- How he accidentally saved a woman from killing herself.
- Why scientists and tennis players agree that the cultural conversation about gender is all backward.
- Why your view on Sea World may predict your level of anxiety.
- What the dramatic events surrounding a false missile alert in Hawaii in 2018 have to do with you.
The Problem of Life illustrates how we may be looking in all the wrong places for joy, contentment, and satisfaction and points us toward God as the remedy for our brokenness.