Profile: The Rev. Mark Sargent

Senior pastor at Embry Hills United Methodist Church, the Rev. Mark Sargent prides himself on breaking from his denomination’s official position on gay issues. He likes to say, “When you go to church, don’t check your brain at the door.

“If it wants to be a viable presence in the world, the church must recognize cultural shifts that have taken place, and not just say the same old stuff.”

He leads a Sunday morning discussion group called Happy Heretics (whose members includes this writer’s wife). “A lot of times it’s about talking about what’s on people’s minds, but we always get back to our desire to ‘say faith things’ in a way that’s creative, imaginative and not the same old thing.

“My father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather and two great uncles were all Methodist preachers, so I’m really in my family business.”

A father of three, when he’s not leading his church or completing a master’s in psychology, he loves to cook. “I try to keep it healthy. If I want to be really decadent, I have a pretty good recipe for New York-style cheesecake.”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)