Helping pastors build healthy churches.

Who We Are

At 9Marks, we help pastors, future pastors, and church members build healthy churches. To this end, we create resources like books, podcasts, a quarterly journal, web courses, and more. We also host training events around the world. Our focus in everything is on nine marks of a healthy church—expositional preaching, gospel doctrine, conversion and evangelism, church membership, church discipline, discipleship and growth, church leadership, prayer, and missions. Why these nine? Because the Bible requires them, and, sadly, too many evangelical churches have neglected or assumed them.

The Nine Marks

Expositional Preaching

What is it?

Expositional preaching makes the main point of a passage of Scripture the main point of the sermon and then applies that point to the life of the congregation.

Where is it in the Bible?

  • According to Scripture, God accomplishes his purposes through speaking to his people (see Gen. 1:3, Isa. 55:10-11, Acts 12:24). This means that for sermons to be filled with God’s power, preachers must preach God’s Word.
  • The Bible has many examples of expositional preaching and teaching. Think of the Levitical priests who taught the Law (Deut. 33:10), Ezra and the Levites who read from the Law and gave the sense of it (Neh. 8:8), and Peter and the apostles who expounded Scripture and urged their hearers to respond with repentance and faith (Acts 2:14-41, 13:16-47).
  • On the other hand, God condemns those who “speak of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord” (Jer. 23:16, 18, 21-22).

Why is it important?

Expositional preaching is important because God’s Word is what convicts, gives new life, builds up, and sanctifies God’s people (Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 Thess. 2:13; Jn. 17:17). What God’s people need is not a preacher’s wisdom, but God’s wisdom.

Gospel Doctrine

What is it?

Gospel doctrine addresses who God is, who we are as sinners, and what God has done to save those who repent of their sin and trust in him.

Where is it in the Bible?

  • The Bible teaches that God created the world, and that he is holy, faithful, loving, and sovereign (Gen. 1:1; Lev. 21:8; Ex. 34:6-7; John 5:20; 1 John 4:10, 19; Isa. 45:7-9; Eph. 1:11).
  • The Bible also teaches that man was made in God’s image in order to obey God’s commands and enjoy perfect fellowship forever (Gen. 1:26-27, 2:17; Psalm 19:7-9; Rev. 2:7).
  • Rather than obey God, however, man sinned, death entered the world, and all came under condemnation before God (Rom. 5:12-14).
  • Yet the Bible makes clear that God loved a sinful people and sent his only Son to live, die, and rise in order to forgive any who repent of their sin and trust in him (Gal. 2:16; Rom. 5:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:21).
  • The entire Bible and all its doctrine points to the person and work of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44-47; John 5:39-40).

Why is it important?

Gospel doctrine is important because there is no other way for man to be forgiven of his sins and receive eternal life but through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

Conversion and Evangelism

What is it?

Conversion is the radical change of heart and life which God brings about in his people by his Spirit. Evangelism is one person telling others about how to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ. Evangelism is often the means by which God converts people.

Where is it in the Bible?

  • From the Law, the prophets, and Jesus and the Apostles’ teaching we learn that man is in desperate need of a new heart (Deut. 31:14-23, Eze. 3:7; Mark 7:20-23; Rom 3:23; Eph 2:10).
  • In the Old Testament, God promised to change his people’s hearts himself by sending a Messiah who would redeem them from their failures and sins (Isa. 53:4-5; Jer. 31:33-34).
  • Through the work of Jesus, the promised Messiah, and God’s Holy Spirit, everyone who God calls to himself is converted—that is, they repent, believe, and are saved (John 3:5-13, 6:37-40). This conversion cannot be accomplished in man’s heart without God performing the work (John 6:44).
  • God commands that everyone who has been converted to go and share the good news of Jesus with the world in order that they too may be saved (Matt. 28:19-20; Rom 10:14-15; 2 Cor 5:19). This is the work of evangelism, and evangelism is God’s ordinary means to bring about conversion.

Why does it matter?

Conversion is important because we were created to find ultimate joy in dwelling with God, and we must be converted to know and be with him. Evangelism is important because God calls and uses us to share the good news with others so that they might be saved.

Church Membership

What is it?

According to the Bible, church membership is a commitment every Christian should make to attend, love, serve, and submit to a local church.

Where is it in the Bible?

  • Throughout the Old Testament, God made a clear distinction between his people and the world. The New Testament Apostles then insist on this same distinction (Lev. 13:46, Num. 5:3, Deut. 7:3; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).
  • Jesus taught that entering the kingdom of God involves being bound to the church “on earth,” which is the local church (Matt. 16:16-19; 18:17-19).
  • The first church began at Pentecost when people were baptized and “added to their number” (Acts 2:41). After baptism, participation in the Lord’s Supper then indicates who belongs to the body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:17).
  • Most of the epistles are then written to known quantities of people, such as “to the church of God that is in Corinth” and “to the churches of Galatia.” These are not random crowds but identified and marked off groups of individuals who would identify as those churches.
  • The New Testament explicitly refers to some people being“inside” the church and others being “outside” church. It also speaks of “removing” people from the church and a punishment by the majority (1 Cor. 5:2, 12-13; 2 Cor. 2:6).
  • The New Testament contains dozens of “one another” commands which fill out our understanding of what church membership should practically look like.

Why is it important?

Biblical church membership is important because it is through the church that God testifies of himself and displays his glory to the world. In the church’s membership, then, non-Christians should see in the lives of God’s changed people that God is holy and gracious and that his gospel is powerful to save and transform sinners.

Church Discipline

What is it?

  • Church discipline is the work of correcting sin in the life of the body.
  • This can be done privately and informally. On rare occasion, it can also include a final step of excluding a professing Christian from membership in the church and participation in the Lord’s Supper because of serious unrepentant sin (see Matt. 18:15-20, 1 Cor. 5:1-13).

Where is it in the Bible?

  • The New Testament commands corrective discipline in passages like Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 2 Corinthians 2:6, and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15.
  • The New Testament also details formative discipline (our efforts to grow in holiness together) in countless passages which speak of pursuing holiness and building one another up in the faith, such as Ephesians 4:11-32 and Philippians 2:1-18.

Why is it important?

Discipline is like the stake that helps a tree grow upright, the extra set of wheels on the bicycle, or the musician’s endless hours of practice. Without discipline, we won’t grow as God wants us to. With discipline, we will, by God’s grace, bear peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:5-11).

Discipleship

What is it?

The Christian life is one of growing in godliness (2 Pet. 1:7-10). Growth comes not only by instruction, but also by imitation (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1). Therefore, churches should exhort their members to grow in holiness and help others do the same.

Where is it in the Bible?

  • Peter exhorted his readers to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18)
  • Paul exhorted the Ephesians to grow by speaking the truth in love to one another (Eph. 4:15).
  • Many passages in Scripture instruct us to imitate godly leaders (1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 4:9; Heb. 13:7).

The point is that, according to Scripture, all Christians should grow in Christ, imitate other godly Christians, and encourage others in their growth in Christlikeness.

Why is it important?

Promoting biblical discipleship and growth is important because none of us are finished products. Until we die, all Christians will struggle against sin, and we need help in this fight. Moreover, churches that foster cultures of Christian discipleship strengthen their witness by offering the world a picture of what the gospel looks like in action.

Church Leadership

What is it?

There are two church offices according to Scripture: elders and deacons. Elders are to be godly, qualified men who serve as teachers and shepherds of the church. Deacons, on the other hand, are servants of the church, focusing on practical needs of members and the unity of the whole body.

Where is it in the Bible?

  • Paul lays out the qualifications for elders in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
  • God gifts churches with elders to
    • feed God’s sheep God’s word (Jn. 21:15-17),
    • guide the sheep (1 Tim. 4:16; 1 Pet. 5:3, Heb. 13:7),
    • and protect the sheep from attackers (Acts 20:27-29; 2 Tim. 4:3-4; Tit. 1:9),
    • while protecting both themselves and the church through the wisdom of their plurality (Prov. 11:14; 24:6).
  • When the Epistles mention elders, they present them as a group or a plurality (Acts 14:23, Acts 20:17, 1 Tim. 4:14, 5:17; James 5:14).
  • The qualifications for deacons are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
  • While “the seven” are not named deacons in Acts 6:1-7, these seven individuals demonstrate the basic work of a deacon: (i) meeting tangible needs, (ii) bringing unity to the church, (iii) and supporting the teaching ministry of the elders.

Why is it important?

Biblical eldership is important because through it God blesses the church with instruction, protection, and unity.

Prayer

What is it?

Many wrongly think of prayer as being a kind of mystical energy or religious ritual. But prayer is simply talking to God. It can include praising God, confessing sin, asking for needs, and even lamenting the brokenness of the world. In the Bible, individual Christians and churches are commanded to pray because God really listens and responds to the prayers of his people.

Where is it in the Bible?

  • Jesus taught his disciples to pray directly to God as their Father, to praise him for who he is, and ask him to provide for all our needs (Matt. 6:6-9).
  • He also said believers should ask boldly because God knows what we need and has committed himself to providing for us (Matt. 6:25-34).
  • James identified the reason for believers not having what we need is because we do not ask (James 4:2-3).
  • The early church regularly gathered to pray as they faced many challenges in advancing the gospel among the lost (Acts 1:14, 4:23-31, 12:5).

Why is it important?

Prayer is so fundamental to the Bible that the Bible cannot be understood without it. This is because what God says demands a response from us. Proper responses to God’s revelation include praising, asking, confessing, and lamenting to God in prayer.

Missions

What is it?

Missions is church planting across significant barriers. To fill that out just a bit, missions involves churches sending qualified workers across linguistic, geographic, or cultural barriers to start or strengthen churches, especially in places where Christ has not been named.

Where is it in the Bible?

  • The entire Bible tells the story of God making a people for himself out of those who had been cast into darkness and death by Adam’s sin and their own. He accomplished his people’s redemption through Jesus Christ, the one who the Old Testament anticipates and the New Testament celebrates. This means that the entire Bible is rightly said to be about missions—God’s mission to save.
  • In the Great Commission, Jesus bound churches everywhere to the task of disciple-making (Matt. 28:19-20). We know that local churches are the means for fulfilling Jesus’s commission because (i) the apostles planted local churches wherever they went throughout the book of Acts; and (ii) Jesus commands new believers to be baptized—an ordinance normally given to churches rather than to individuals.
  • The book of Acts is all about the planting of and strengthening churches in order to advance the gospel. The individual letters of the New Testament also serve this end.
  • Revelation 7:9 guarantees that God’s mission, which he is currently working through his church, will succeed. A “great multitude” from every nation will gather to him on the last day.

Why is it important?

Missions is important because God’s primary objective in creating the world has always been to redeem a people through Christ for his glory (Col. 1:16-22). God calls churches to join him in this mission.

Our Team

9Marks is led by Mark Dever (president), Ryan Townsend (executive director), Jonathan Leeman (editorial director), and Rick Denham (international director). They’re joined by a dedicated staff. In addition to these, 9Marks resources are usually produced in partnership with faithful church leaders from around the world.

Mark Dever

President

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Mark Dever serves as the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. A Duke graduate, Dr. Dever holds a M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Ecclesiastical History from Cambridge University. He is the president of 9Marks and has taught at a number of seminaries. Dr. Dever has also authored several books and articles. He and his wife Connie live and minister on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Jonathan Leeman

Editorial Director

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Jonathan (@JonathanLeeman) edits the 9Marks series of books as well as the 9Marks Journal. He is also the author of several books on the church. Since his call to ministry, Jonathan has earned a master of divinity from Southern Seminary, a Ph.D. in Ecclesiology from the University of Wales, and has worked as an interim pastor. He lives with his wife and four daughters in Cheverly, Maryland.

Ryan Townsend

Executive Director

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Ryan gives oversight to the organization. Born and raised in Houston, he grew up attending a Unitarian church. Ryan moved to Washington, DC in 1993 to attend Georgetown University. After graduation he converted to Christ through the ministry of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, where Ryan later served as a pastoral assistant to Mark Dever. In 2005, Ryan began his master of divinity studies at The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville. During his time in Louisville, Ryan served as the pastor for administration & children at Clifton Baptist Church. Ryan now lives with his wife and five children in Washington, D.C.

Rick Denham

International Director

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Rick oversees 9Marks’ International ministry. Raised in Brazil in a missionary family, Rick returned to the States for college and afterward started a merchandising company where he worked with many Christian bands like DC Talk and Michael W. Smith. But in 2005, after 17 years in the music industry, Rick and his wife Kimberlie sold their business and returned to Brazil to serve as missionaries. At this point, Rick began working with FIEL, a publishing and teaching ministry his parents started in 1966, and he continues to serve as their President. Rick is thrilled to partner with 9Marks to help pastors establish healthy churches among the nations. The Denhams live in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, with their children, James, Lilah, and Julieta.

Paul Passaro

CFO

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Paul Passaro has served as the CFO of 9Marks since 2011 and is a partner at Brown-Locy Advisors. Paul’s career began on Wall Street in 1987. Since then, his management responsibilities have included leading finance, operations, strategic planning, human resources, and business development. In addition to three years of mission work in South Africa, Paul has helped plant churches and served on the boards of non-profits and privately-held businesses, including Thrive Farmers International. He is a cum laudegraduate of Williams College with an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Paul and his wife, Dr. Kristi Passaro, are the parents of three children and reside in Chapel Hill, NC, where they are members of Christ Community Church.

Alex Duke

Editorial Manager

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Alex writes, edits, and plans much of the content for the 9Marks website. He graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Creative Writing. He graduated in 2017 with an MDiv from Southern Seminary. After spending two years doing youth ministry in Queens, New York, Alex and his family moved back to Louisville. He lives there with his wife Melanie and their three kids—Elliot, John, and Zoe. He also serves on staff at Third Avenue Baptist Church.

Alberto Jaquez

Operations Manager

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Originally from the Dominican Republic, Alberto serves as the Operations Manager for 9Marks. He is currently serving as an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. He’s married to a wonderful lady named Elisabeth, who grew up as a missionary kid, and is father to Luna Mae. In Fall 2016, he did the CHBC internship. Before that, he served at Iglesia Bíblica del Señor Jesucristo, his home church in the Dominican Republic.

Pat Forrester

Development Manager

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Pat serves as the development manager where he desires to encourage and train pastors, and equip churches with practical resources by connecting the generosity of faithful investors with pastors, churches, and projects around the globe. Prior to joining 9Marks, he worked for NASA and the United States Army for 45 years.

Pat received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Sciences and Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, in 1979, and a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia in 1989.

Pat has been married to his wife, Diana, for over 42 years and they have two married sons and three grandchildren. He is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC where he participated in the pastoral internship in January of 2021.

Karen Race McCutcheon

Event Coordinator

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Originally from California, Karen spent 13 years living and working in Washington, D.C. She served as Director of White House Personnel for President George W. Bush, took a brief interlude to walk across Spain (literally), and then served as the General Manager at 9Marks for 5 years. She married Rob and moved to Dubai, UAE, Tampa, FL, and Washington D.C. (again) before moving to Geneva, Switzerland where they currently reside. They adopted Robbie in 2018.  She now serves as a full-time mom, professional photographer, part time CLO at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, and a part time Event Coordinator at 9Marks, focusing on the Weekender. Karen is a member of Westlake Church Lausanne.

Jaime Arora

Financial Manager

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When she is not literally running after her two small children, Jaime works part-time as the financial manager for 9Marks. She received her bachelor’s degree in business from American University and her law degree from George Washington University. Between jobs at an accounting firm, a law firm, and a tax magazine, Jaime spent time serving as the director of an orphanage in Zambia and traveling to all seven continents. She lives with her husband and family in Washington, D.C., where they are members of Capitol Hill Baptist Church. Jaime enjoys leading a small group, running, baking, and watching too much reality TV.

Amber Hammond

Executive Assistant

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Amber serves as the Executive Assistant for 9Marks. A native Texan and a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma, she spent the last two years in Washington, DC as the Office Manager at 9Marks. She recently moved to Indianapolis, IN, with her husband, Alex. Amber loves details and completing tasks behind the scenes to make things run smoothly. She and her husband are both members at Castleview Church. They enjoy reading and cooking together.

Judith Henderson

International Resource Manager

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Judith lives in Shawinigan, Quebec with her husband, Daniel, and their two kids where they attend l’Église évangélique baptiste de Shawinigan-Sud. Since moving to Quebec as missionaries, Judith learned French and currently leads a weekly women’s Bible study. Judith and her husband share a passion for books. In her free time, Judith loves to read, especially studying theology and ecclesiology. Her husband serves at a French publisher that makes Christian books available in French, including translating and publishing many of the 9Marks books. Judith serves 9Marks as the International Resource Manager.

Jeri Choi

Jeri Choi

Community Manager

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Jeri serves as the Community Manager for 9Marks. She grew up in Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a degree in American Studies and Social Welfare. She later went back to school in Dallas, TX for her M.A. in Christian Education. She is married to James, Pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church. Jeri and James have 3 young children and currently reside in Maryland.

Taylor Hartley

Managing Editor

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Taylor writes, edits, and project manages for 9Marks.  He graduated from Southern Seminary in 2022 and intends to pursue more education. Taylor is married to Rachel and they live on the Hill in Washington, D.C. They are members at Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Sam Koo

Multimedia Manager

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Sam serves as the Multimedia Manager at 9Marks. He graduated from Southern Seminary, and finished the pastoral internship at CHBC in 2022. He is married to Anna and is a father to James. Sam and Anna are members of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

David Daniels

Editorial Assistant

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David Daniels manages book reviews and edits various things with words for 9Marks. He is the husband of one wife named Jharmaine and the father of one son named David Jr. David and Jharmaine are members of Edgewater Baptist Church in Chicago, IL.

Tyler Ardiles

International Projects Coordinator

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Tyler helps coordinate projects for the 9Marks International team in Washington, D.C. Originally from Phoenix, AZ, Tyler studied Marketing, Supply Chain and Music at Baylor University in Waco, TX. After university, he worked with one of 9Marks’ international partners based in Medellín, Colombia (Poiema Publicaciones). He moved to D.C. in 2024 to join the team at 9Marks. Outside of this work, you can find him going to indie concerts with friends, writing music or playing spikeball on the National Mall. If you’re ever in D.C., Tyler would love to take you out to try Peruvian food (it’s the best)! Tyler is a member at Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Hannah Mitchell

Events and Operations Manager

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Hannah is the Events and Operations Manager at 9Marks and loves bringing people together! She lives in the DC area and is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church. When she’s not pouring over event details, putting together timelines, and dreaming about what’s next, she loves all things scuba diving and surfing. With a love for knowing people and helping others know one another, she delights in her work and welcomes you to reach out with any event-related questions, or just if you want to make a new friend!


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