Mark Ensley

Minister of Worship & Community

Mark Ensley joined the Lindenwood staff in 2018 and serves as Minister of Worship and Community, which also includes directing the Chancel Choir. After accepting his call to ministry, he began studies at Lexington Theological Seminary, was commissioned in 2019 by the Tennessee Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and came under care for ordination. At LTS, he recently completed the Certificate in Pastoral Studies and will complete the Master of Theological Studies in 2027.

Before ministry, Mark spent twenty-five years as a professor of music at LaGrange College and the University of Memphis, conducting more than one hundred opera and musical theatre productions in the U.S. and abroad. He is especially proud of his work on The Promise, John Baur’s opera on the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., developed from his desire to honor Dr. King to its premiere five years later.

Mark has an intense love of scripture, inherited from his father, and a heart for discipleship. If you catch him reading a book, it’s either the Bible, something for a class, or anything written by Thomas Merton. As an advocate for the inclusion and affirmation of the LGBTQ+ community, he has helped augment Lindenwood’s presence through community resources and involvement in the Memphis Pride Festival.

A North Carolina native and alum of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he still believes God is a Tarheel because the sky is Carolina blue! He is the father of three amazing daughters and became “Papaw” to identical twin boys in 2022. Mark lives in Memphis with his husband of twenty-two years, Larry, their nine-year-old daughter, Madison, their dog Maeve, their cat Milk, and lots of chickens.