Born June 2, 1980 to Mike and Margi Winkelman, Mark is the youngest of 4 (siblings -Matthew, Amy, & Andrew). Growing up in the small town of Arenzeville, IL, Mark also spent much of his summer time at the nearby farms of his grandparents. In 1988 his father accepted a call to serve as Pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Morrison, IL. Mark graduated from Morrison High School in 1998 and attended Rockford College, Rockford IL where he played baseball before transferring to Northern Illinois University, Dekalb where he received his B.A. in Psychology.

In 2004 Mark enrolled at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and upon his request began his field work at Holy Cross Deaf Lutheran Church. While there he learned Sign Language and metnRebekah Moody. Mark and Beka were married July 29, 2006 at St. Peter’s, Morrison. On July 27, 2007 Mark adopted her son, John, and on August 1st they moved to Omaha, Nebraska where Mark was Vicar at Bethany, St. Paul, and Bethlehem Deaf Lutheran Churches. Mark and Beka’s first child, David, was born that December (the same morning David was born, Mark had his appendix removed – a story to ask him about later). David was then baptized at Holy Cross Deaf on Epiphany by his father and both grandfathers.

As Mark, Beka, John, and David were packing up to return to the Seminary in August 2008 they announced that they were expecting another child that coming year. In March 2009 Lydia was born in St. Louis. In April Mark received his first call to serve as Associate Pastor alongside his father at St. Peter’s Lutheran, Morrison and then graduated in May with his Masters of Divinity. In June Mark was ordained, installed and then baptized Lydia at St. Peters, Morrison. In June 2012 the Lord blessed Mark and Beka with their third child together, Adam, who was baptized by his father and grandfathers that July.

Mark served St. Peters first as Associate and then as Senior Pastor until accepting a call to serve as Senior Pastor to Immanuel Lutheran, Freeport, IL in November 2017. Mark served as their sole pastor until June 2022 at which time he moved to St. Louis to be near family, working at Sam’s Club in Maplewood, MO and then also serving as vacancy pastor in Mt. Vernon, IL and doing pulpit supply in the area. Since August 2024 he has served as vacancy pastor here at St. John’s and is looking forward to beginning his next chapter of life among the saints in Red Bud. Mark plans to move into the parsonage following the conclusion of the school year. Three of his children (David, Lydia, & Adam) will be with him every other week and John is living in Clinton, IA working as a chef at Candlelight Inn. David will be finishing his High School work this year; Lydia is a Sophomore at Lutheran South; Adam is in 8th grade at Our Saviors, Fenton, MO and he will be joining his sister at Lutheran South next school year. They all look forward to getting to know their family in Christ here in Red Bud.