Our Rector

The Reverend Jenny Newman became St. Mark's second full-time rector on November 1, 2025. 

​Since her ordination in 2021 and prior to joining St. Mark's, Jenny served with distinction in a dual role as rector at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension and as chaplain for the Episcopal campus ministry at the University of Southern Mississippi, both in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

A Master of Divinity graduate of the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, she also holds an M.S. in counseling psychology from Mississippi College in Clinton and a B.A. in biblical studies from William Carey University in Hattiesburg. She started coursework in June 2025 on a Doctor of Ministry at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas, with a leadership concentration.

Her preordination experience, personal and professional, prepared her well for the work that, by all accounts, she was born to do. A native Mississippian and the daughter of a bi-vocational Baptist minister, she spent 10 years after completing her first master’s degree as a neurocognitive research specialist and an adjunct university professor. It was during this period that she began discernment for ordination in the Episcopal Church as well. Earlier she taught high school English and Spanish.

Jenny is an engaging preacher who combines her thorough knowledge of Scripture with storytelling to explicate the Gospel and its application to daily life. She is a creative, collaborative leader who knows how to chart a course and how to correct one. She is committed to her core to service and outreach. But first and foremost, she says, “I am a pastor.” Jenny brings uncommon maturity, intelligence, warmth, energy and presence to her ministry.

She also demonstrates a profound faith and an openness to mystery. As a co-owner of Little Coracles, a ministry dedicated to holy adventure, she leads pilgrimages to “thin places” in Ireland and Scotland, helping travelers to achieve a deeper understanding of the mystical elements of Christianity. Equally important, she is able to communicate spirituality to those more comfortable with a rational approach to matters of faith.

Jenny has two younger brothers and two nephews and a niece whom she loves to spoil. She is single and enjoys ocean kayaking, hiking, travel, music, and seeing wonder in the world.