Mark Phifer-Houseman
Pastor of Leadership Development
408.252.5500 x104
Mark Phifer-Houseman joined the staff of The River in April 2008 as the Pastor of Leadership Development. Mark’s role is to equip the staff and develop the leadership of the church: from leadership training to clarifying church-wide vision. He brings over twenty years of experience as a campus minister and 8 years as a Spiritual Director, primarily for pastors and other ministry leaders. Mark received his Masters in Leadership Development from Fuller Theological Seminary and has been married to his wife Gayll (herself a campus minister, retreat director, and speaker) since 1985. In 2003, they adopted four siblings from post-civil war Ethiopia. They and their four children (Ephrem, Meheretab, Yodit, and Beti) live in Cupertino.
Besides becoming an instantaneous father of four, one of the most shaping experiences of Mark’s life has been his thirteen year battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). At its worst, this debilitating condition forced Mark to withdraw from active ministry for an extended season. Spiritually, it transformed Mark from an achievement-oriented doer to one who treasures the contemplative presence of Jesus and the centrality of the Cross to the Gospel. By the grace of God, Mark has felt a significant return to health over the past year which has enabled him to use his gifts on staff with the River.
Mark and Gayll attended The River at its inception, and returned to The River two years ago when the Phifer-Houseman’s returned to the Bay Area after living in the Central Coast for five years. He loves that The River is seeking to bring integration to the sometimes disparate streams of Union, Mission, and Healing and feels called to help The River and its members fully express the Kingdom of God in our lives and community.
Outside of work, you can find Mark tutoring algebra, going for nightly prayer walks with Gayll, playing basketball with his kids.