The Reverend Norman V. Beale, Rector

The Reverend Norman V. Beale has been the Rector of St. Mark's since August, 2003. His family includes his wife, Beth, and their children Amresa (17) and David (13). Fr. Norman, whose father was also a minister, was born in Florida, but grew up in New Orleans. At about age 17 he received his first sense of calling from God to the ministry but was unclear how to proceed for some time. He earned a B.A. degree in History at Furman University, Greenville, SC, and an M.S. degree in Education at Hunter College, New York, NY, then taught in New York and California. While in New York, Norman and Beth met through the world of Modern Dance and Ballet, when Norman was age 28. He has stated that his one regret is that he had not met her earlier! While they were living in New York, it was after meeting people who had served with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, that their sense of call by God to involvement in mission emerged. Norman and Beth sought to prepare to answer this call by pursing further graduate study in California (missions and missiology, anthropology, linguistics) where Beth earned an M.A. in Applied Linguistics. It was in southern California that the sense of call was more sharply focused and the Holy Spirit made it clear that Nepal was to be their destination. Initially their sending agency was non-denominational and they were seconded to the United Mission to Nepal in late 1987. They later joined an Episcopal agency, and were appointed as missionaries of Anglican Frontier Missions in 1995.  Read More about Norman >>