Saint Mark Lutheran Church (Provo, Utah) Records

Rev. Bunde Skov started Saint Mark Lutheran Church as a mission congregation in 1931. The first worship service was held on February 8, 1931 at the Strand Theatre. Worship continued there for three months, and then moved to the Seventh Day Adventist Church for the next seven years, followed by the Provo Women’s Council Club House, the Community Congregational Church, and the old Lincoln Grade School (1949-1960) when the school ceased operation. In 1942, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was renamed Saint Mark Lutheran Church, and the congregation purchased land for a new building. The new chapel was dedicated on August 11, 1963. In the meantime, a Christian Day School was opened in 1950, but closed in 1960. The 25th anniversary of the congregation was celebrated on May 14, 1967. Mortgage burning took place on June 11, 1978. The church celebrated its 75th anniversary in September 2013. Some unusual events that have occurred have been a rifle fire during services, mysterious entry of dogs into the chapel, and even strangers trying to disrupt baptisms. The congregation’s numbers peaked in the 1970s. After that time, a slow decline began. The congregation eventually sold their property and again met in a theater until they came across the present location. The congregation closed in 2020, and shared their wealth with the Utah LCMS churches in hopes that their churches would grow in God’s Word.