Mark E. Shaw, (D.Min., Birmingham Theological Seminary, 2008) serves as Nocatee Pastor of Counseling where he gives oversight and leadership to all First Counseling ministries at the Nocatee Campus. He enjoys counseling and giving oversight to biblical counselors, encouraging them while equipping them.
Trained initially as a secular psychological counselor, Mark discovered biblical counseling in 2001, and achieved ACBC certification in 2002. Since then Mark has enjoyed over two decades of teaching at churches, conferences, and in seminaries around the country and the world, upholding the Holy Spirit’s transformational power and sufficiency of Scripture.
His leadership experience (beginning in Alabama, then Indiana, and most recently Kentucky) includes directing and overseeing biblical counseling ministries, pastoral roles, founding a non-profit leadership network (Truth in Love Ministries, now known as The Addiction Connection.org) and executive leadership of residential and outpatient addictions care.
As a prolific writer for Focus Publishing (Bemidji, MN), his most recent series of booklets include Vaping: Hope through the Gospel; (2023); Fentanyl (2022); and Destigmatizing Addiction: Hope through the Gospel (2023). Currently Mark has 28 published books and booklets (9 of which are collaborative works) most notably:
· The Heart of Addiction: A Biblical Perspective (2008, 2018, Focus Publishing, Bemidji)
· Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts (2007, Focus)
· Relapse: Biblical Prevention Strategies (2011, Focus)
· Understanding Temptation: The War Within Your Heart (2014, Focus).
Mark and his wife, Mary, have four adult children: Mark Jr., Sarah, Rachel, and Michael.