Young love

Mark Young remembers exactly how long the drive was to Audrey when they first started dating: two hours and 22 minutes.

Mark and Audrey Young have been married for 11 years and are both pastors and met on a Christian dating site. The catch: they preach to different congregations. Mark is a pastor at First Christian Church, and Audrey is a pastor at St. Luke’s United Methodist. They both said there’s no friction in their home when it comes to their preaching duties or their faith.

“We checked that out right away when we met about whether our theologies jive, and about the only thing. We discovered is baptism is the only thing we have a difference in theology on,” Audrey said. “We both believe in all the Christian beliefs — God, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

The difference in baptism is that Mark’s church does full immersion baptism at the age of reason, usually at third grade or later. Audrey baptizes infants.

Mark said he grew up in a more conservative church that didn’t allow women to take part in leadership roles in the church. He said he believed the same for some time and preached it as well. He said now his oldest son laughs at the irony.

“God has a sense of humor in that,” Mark said. “But it took me some time to understand that women have wonderful gifts to give to the church in leadership.”

The first church Audrey served in southwest Iowa had never had a female pastor before her. She decided when she went there she wasn’t going to let it be an issue.

“I thought, this is where I’m supposed to be, where God has called me to be,” Audrey said. “So it has nothing to do with plumbing and everything to with serving God.”

Almost a year a later a male member of her congregation approached her and said, “I didn’t think I was going to like this, having a woman preacher, but that it’s OK.”

Audrey never even knew he had a problem.

“Sometimes, I think we create our own tension around that issue,” Audrey said. “I’ve always seen it as I try to do the best I can and let God do the rest.”

Both of the Youngs feel music is a great tool for services. When they were married, they said they officiated their own wedding, which involved a ceremony and then singing songs with the people who were in attendance. Mark said he doesn’t just listen to or use Christian music in his sermons.

“It’s one of the only gifts that God gives us here that we take to heaven with us,” Mark said. “The Bible is full of music. There’s something about being able to express yourself in music ”

Both of them feel they are blessed in Newton, not only with the town but with their congregations.

“It doesn’t get much better than this,” Mark said.

“I’ve died and gone to pastor’s heaven,” Audrey said.