James Marcus 'Mark' Pennington
February 25, 1968 ~ March 12, 2023
James Marcus ‘Mark’ Pennington, 55, of Wichita, Kansas, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 12, 2023. Mark was born in Oklahoma City to James and Stella Pennington. Mark graduated business school from Wichita State University in 1989, and was then called into pastoral ministry. Mark attended Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, and served as a pastor in Cameron, Missouri, Great Bend, and Wichita, Kansas for over two decades. Towards the end of his career, he primarily worked with hospice patients and their families. His calling card wherever he went was his humor and his irreverent wit. Mark loved to make people laugh and smile. He was passionate about golf, motorcycle riding, gaming, and Oklahoma football. Mark's greatest joy was his family. Mark married the love of his life Kimberly. They enjoyed 33 years of marriage together and had two beautiful children: Jessica (Michael) Jeong of Kailua, Hawaii and Jonathan (Zoe) of San Diego, California. Mark is additionally survived by his parents James and Stella of Andover and his brother Matthew (Terri) Pennington of Wichita and many other dear friends and family.
Services to celebrate Mark's life will be held at Pathway Church, 2001 N Maize Rd., Wichita on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. with viewing at 9:30 a.m. An internment will immediately follow at Resurrection Cemetery, 1640 N Maize Rd., Wichita. A Memorial has been established with Pathway Church, 2001 North Maize Road, Wichita, Kansas 67212. Tributes may be sent to the family via www.dlwichita.com
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Best brother ever. No words man just love you and miss you bro – and we’ll tee it up on the other side I love you. Matthew
The first memory that came to my mind was when Mark baptized my children. I will never forget that day such a beautiful soul and always smiling or laughing he will be missed greatly. Praying for his dear family and thankful for the gift of His life crossing our paths. Debbie D
Mark, it was such an honor to have you as a cousin. You genuinely cared about everyone. You always made me feel special and loved every time I saw you, and I know you did the same for so many others. I will never forget your piano playing and your laugh and your jokes. You made us all so proud to see you preach and proclaim Jesus. And you chose the most amazing wife and were truly blessed. I know that your goodness and faithfulness will continue to produce fruit and have ripple effects throughout the generations. May the Lord comfort your wonderful wife Kim and your beautiful children and your parents and your brother and all of the family with the peace like a river that goes beyond our understanding.
Love, your cousin Amy
Kim and family, I am so very sorry for your loss. Sending prayers and love…..Kathy Wade Gordon
Truly sadden to hear this news. You were an amazing pastor to me and my family in Great Bend. I will cherish the memories we all had. Many prayers to Kim and the rest of the family.
Pastor mark was a great guy, loved having you as my pastor, you could always make me smile,See you on the other side.
This family will never forget the loving kindness and care Mark poured out to us in our time of trial and grief. Always there, always calm and with great counsel and empathy. God placed him in our lives with perfect timing and perfect care. We will treasure his memory and be thankful to God for him until we meet again.
Mark was a wonderful pastor, husband, father and friend. His smile was always an encouragement. Had many wonderful times of laughter. Our prayers are with Kim and the family.
My forever cousin. Born three weeks apart, I was the older one, which was really cool for me until we turned 30 and from then on being the older one wasn’t as cool, which you rubbed in every February. Haha! I can’t imagine life without my buddy… Laughing with you will always be my favorite memory. I love you bigger than a day in Norman watching the Sooners.
Mark has been my friend and co-worker since 2017! We worked through some of the craziest most awkward situations together and came out smiling and laughing Except for the time he raced the train with me in the passenger seat. I wasn’t laughing but he was! I’m so blessed to have known Mark and I miss him already! Prayers for his family!
Remembering with love & laughter today one of the coolest guys on the planet, my cousin Mark. The one who first taught me how many words rhyme with Susan “cruisin for a brusin”…Hahaha! You taught me how to shoot pool and how to almost ride a dirt bike! The last time we were together we laughed until we snorted and made a scene. I’ll remember you as this big haired teenager until we’re together again! Love you big time. Suz Magooz
The smile. God blesses some with amazing deep smiles. He had a great one. To Kim, I pray God wraps his arms around you with this loss.
So grateful to God to have had Mark as our pastor. With a young son and later a daughter, his new plant church was just what our family needed at the time. I am honored to have known him as one of God’s faithful servants. I will never forget Mark’s and Kim’s kindness to our young family. It will always be a special memory when Mark dedicated our infant daughter to the Lord! Though we may have lost contact, the memories of that sweet time are always with me. May God bless Kim and their family during this time! I pray for their comfort. I have the peace of knowing we will worship the Lord together in our heavenly home one day again!
Mark was such a wonderful friend, pastor, and father. We cherish the 20+ years of memories, watching cheer competitions, raising kids, playing games, hanging out with our families, laughing and crying, and just doing life together. Mark leaves a great legacy of faithfully following God through the good times and the bad. He will be greatly missed. But we look forward to the eternal reunion in heaven.
Mark was passionate about his family and his love for God. Mark and Kim were pillars for our family when my son-in-law passed in 2022. My daughter would not have made it through the tough time without their support, guidance and unfailing love. Mark always had a smile on his face and was always available if you needed to talk. He will be missed but someday we will meet again. Blessings
Mark could certainly light up a room with his smile and energy. Hoping the light and warmth of those happy memories persist though the days and years ahead.
I am sending my deepest sympathies to all of the Pennington family. I agree 100 per cent that Mark always had a wonderful smile when you saw him. It was fun to know and watch Mark grow up at Wichita First Church and all the activities he was involved in. Years later when I was working at the Kansas District office he was one of the most dedicated pastors I had the pleasure to know. His goal was always to work hard for God’s Kingdom. Joining with the many others in prayers for God to comfort your grieving hearts. Blessings and love,
We had the joy of doing the interim pastorate just before Mark and Kim came to be the pastors in Cameron, Missouri. They early endeared themselves to us and to the people there. Our hearts are greatly saddened to hear of his loss to us here and heaven’s gain this week. Connie and I will be keeping Kim and the family in or love and prayers. Clark Armstrong
Dear Kim, Jessica and Jonathan,
We learned with an immense sadness the return to God of Marc.
Marc was a wonderful man, too young to leave us and his family…
We carry Marc and you, his wonderful and loving family, in our prayers.
Anne-Marie, Pascal, Hermine and all the Perennec family from France.
We pray for you.
My deepest condolences to you Kim, Jessica, Jonathan, Jim, Stella, Matt, and extended family. Mark was a good man who loved his family, who was genuine in his words, who lived with grace and truth, who sacrificed his dreams to serve others. He was a good friend to me and one of a few who loved and supported me with kindness and grace and loved me enough to tell me the truth with gentleness and a smile when I needed it. I thoroughly cherished his friendship. He was a true friend. And he was the love of Jesus to many in this world. I hope and pray that his legacy may live on in the lives he touched and those who knew him best. It brings me peace to know that Mark is with our Lord, being told “Well done!”. And Mark’s reply is likely a phrase I will always know him for – “Awesome sauce.” May God bless you in this time and my prayers is may your hearts to find peace during this time of loss. God bless you all!
Dear Pennington Family,
It is with great sadness that i learned Mark’s passing. He marked my life forever during his warm welcome in your family…
He was nice and funy. I’ll keep great memory oh him.
All my sadness is with you.
Hermine
I am so incredibly sorry to hear of your loss. I only knew Mark a short time, but he made me smile and laugh every single time I was around him. He had a good heart, was kind to everyone and was always an encourager during tough times. Know that your family and friends will be in my prayers.
I am just seeing this because we live in Kansas City and had no idea. I am SO saddened to hear this! He was the best Pastor ever! Kim, I just wrote you a not yesterday on FB and had no idea. Sending lots of love to you and the kids.
Ron & Kathleen Godwin
I met Mark at Nazarene Theological Seminary. He was such a good friend, and warm-hearted colleague. So many great memories of learning and laughing together. Lori and I still talk of our memories with Mark and Kim. I am so sad to just learn of his death. Rest in peace brother. Prayers for Kim and the kids🙏🏻