About Me

Pastor Marcus J. Serven has served as a Presbyterian minister for over four decades of pastoral ministry. Licensed to preach in 1980, he was ordained in 1981 and served churches in California, Missouri, and Texas. In 2016 he formally retired as the Pastor Emeritus of Covenant Family Church (OPC) in Troy, MO (in the greater St. Louis area). But evidently the Lord was not done with him yet, and shortly after moving to Austin he began serving as a hospice Chaplain and teaching adult education classes at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA). In 2019 the church elders recalled him to part-time service as their Pastor of Christian Discipleship at Redeemer. Pastor Serven is a member of the Presbytery of South Texas (PCA) and he is actively involved with the training of future pastors. Moreover, he serves the church by providing pastoral care, preaching as needed, shepherding the flock, teaching adult classes, and writing theological papers for the benefit of the church. Marcus is married to Cheryl (since 1979) and they are the proud parents of nine grown children, in addition to being grandparents to twenty-four grandchildren (more coming!). Pastor Serven currently resides with his family in Austin, Texas.

Curriculum Vitae

Formal Education:

• University of California at Davis, CA (BA in Psychology) [1976]
• Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA (MDiv in Theology and Pastoral Studies) [1979]
• Talbot Theological Seminary – Extension Campus [later the Masters Seminary], Sun Valley, CA (Additional studies in NT Greek and Systematic Theology) [1985-1986]
• Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO (ThM in Biblical and Pastoral Theology) [1992]
• Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO (DMin in Historical and Pastoral Theology) [2011]

Current Memberships:

• Evangelism Explosion, Certified Teacher-Trainer [since 1983]
• Evangelical Theological Society [since 1992]
• Calvin Studies Society [since 2000]
• Presbytery of South Texas (PCA) [since 2019]

Publications:

Speaking Engagements:

— Evangelical Theological Society, Far-West Regional Meetings

• “Lordship Salvation and the Biblical Doctrine of Assurance” in Los Angeles, CA, (4/10/1992)
• “Resurgence of an Old Idea: The Preterist View of the Great Tribulation” at Point Loma College, San Diego, CA (4/17/1993)
• “Working Out Your Salvation: Christian Discipleship and the Perseverance of the Saints” at The Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, CA (4/22/1994)
• “Rediscovering Our Reformation Heritage: The Pastoral Theology of John Calvin” at the Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, CA (4/14/2000)

— The Reformed Fellowship of the Southeastern United States, Columbia, SC (1998)

• “A Reformation Hero: The Life and Theology of John Calvin” at Columbia Biblical College and Seminary, Columbia, SC (4-28-1998)

— Reformation Day Conferences, Peoria, IL: (2009-2013)

• “The Wonder of the Genevan Psalter” (10/23/2009)
• “The Fruit of his Work: Calvin Transforms a City” (10/23/2009)
• “For Christ’s Crown and Covenant: the Persevering Scots and their Spiritual Legacy” (10/22/2010)
• “A Godly Vision for a City on the Hill: the Pilgrims and the Puritans and what actually motivated them” (10/22/2010)
• “The Westminster Confession of Faith: It’s Historical Background and Central Events” (10/21/2011)
• “The Westminster Confession of Faith: It’s Key Theological Doctrines (10/21/2011)
• “Doctrine Divides: Differences between the Celtic Church and the Roman Catholic Church” (10/18/2013)
• “Missions and the Celtic Church” (10/22/2013)

— Reformation 500 Conference, Boston, MA: (2009)

• “A Heart Offered to God: The Life and Ministry of John Calvin” (7/2/2009)
• “Calvin’s Spiritual Forefathers: The Men Who Paved the Way for the Reformation” (7/3/2009)
• “The Great Debate: John Calvin vs. Charles Darwin” in a live performance where I portrayed Calvin in a fictional debate with Darwin on the doctrine of Biblical Creation (7/3/2009) 

— The Shepherds’ Conference, Elizabeth, CO: (2012 and 2015)

• “The Sovereignty of God in Creation and Providence” (9/3/2012)
• “The Trinity in Scripture and History” (9/3/2012)
• “Christ the Mediator: The Person and Work of Christ” (9/4/2012)
• “Family Worship: Its Importance and Practice” (9/4/2012)
• “Pastoral and Fatherly Shepherding” (9/6/2012)
• “The Sovereignty of God” (10/6/2015)
• “The Abiding Validity of Reformation Theology” (10/6/2015)
• “Family Discipleship and Worship” (10/7/2015)

— “Church and Family Life” National and Regional Conferences: (2008-2017)

• “An Outline of John Calvin’s Pastoral Theology” at an NCFIC Regional Leadership Meeting, St. Louis, MO (8/8/2008)
• “Give Me Scotland or I Die: The Life and Ministry of John Knox” at the White Unto Harvest Conference, Asheville, NC (10/26/2012)
• “Preaching the Word of God as Worship” at the Worship of God Conference, Asheville, NC (11/1/2013)
• “Reading the Word of God as Worship” at the Worship of God Conference, Asheville, NC (11/2/2013)
• “The Regulative Principle of Worship: The Debt We Owe to Calvin and Knox” at the Worship of God Conference, Asheville, NC (11/2/2013)
• “The Gospel for All Ages: Preaching the Gospel in an Age Integrated Context” at the Power of the Gospel Conference, Asheville, NC (11/1/2014)
• “Presbyterian Church Discipline” at the Church Discipline Conference, Wake Forest, NC (7/10/2015)
• “Definitive and Progressive Sanctification” at the Highway of Holiness Conference, Asheville, NC (10/31/2015)
• “How Does the Lord Repent?” at the Repentance–The Reformation Continues Conference, Asheville, NC (10/27/ 2017)

— Men’s Advance Conferences, in Paso Robles, CA and in Troy, MO: (2003-2016)

Over the years I have spoken at thirteen Men’s Advance Conferences on a great variety of topics: Family Discipleship; Strengthening Family Relationships; Child Training; Family Worship; the Importance of Heroes; Jesus’ Discipleship Method, Manly Courage; Key Figures in Church History; the Kingdom of God; and Reformation Theology. Here are a few of my favorite talks…

• “Heroes: Why We Must Have Them and Why We Must Tell Their Stories” (2012)
• “Intentional Discipleship: Jesus and His Men” (2013)
• “Manly Courage: The Courage to Trust God for Your Future” (2014)
• “The Kingdom of God: Its Advance and Its Consummation” (2015)
• “The Ongoing Validity of Reformation Theology” (2016)

— School of Discipleship at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Austin, TX (2016-to the present day)

• “The History and Theology of the Reformation” (Winter/Spring, 2017)
• “Two Reformation Giants: Martin Luther and John Calvin” (Fall, 2017)
• “The Minor Prophets” (Fall, 2018)
• “American Church History: Colonization through the Revolutionary War” (Winter/Spring, 2019)
• “American Church History: The Constitutional Republic through World War I” (Fall, 2019)
• “A Theology of Culture” (Winter/Spring, 2020)
• Theology Study Group studying Louis Berkhof’s “Manual of Christian Doctrine” (Summer, 2020 through Spring 2022)
• “Our American Founding”–a video introduction and several written articles on the Pilgrims in honor of the 400th anniversary of their landing at Plymouth Rock (Fall, 2020)
• “The Growth of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth” (Fall, 2020)
• “An Exposition of Paul’s Letter to Titus” (Winter/Spring, 2021)
• “The Abiding Validity of Reformed Theology” (Summer, 2021)
• “Walking With Jesus” (Men’s Retreat Speaker, July 23-24, 2021)
• “The Doctrine of the Christian Life” (Fall, 2021)
• “The Westminster Confession of Faith” Part 1 (Winter/Spring 2022)
• “Sketches from the Life of Christ” (Summer 2022)
• “Growing Strong in Christ” (Men’s Retreat Speaker, July 22-23, 2022)

• “The Westminster Confession of Faith” Part 2 (Fall, 2022)
• Theology Study Group studying the “History and Theology of the Reformation” and John Calvin’s masterful treatise, “The Necessity of Reforming the Church” (Fall, 2022 through May, 2023)
• “The Presbyterian Story: Our History and Theology” (Winter/Spring 2023)
• “The Parables of Jesus” (Summer, 2023)
• “The Moral Law: An Exposition of the Ten Commandments” (Fall, 2023)
• Theology Study Group studying a course in Biblical Theology (Fall, 2023)
• “The History of Christian Worship and the Sacraments” (Winter/Spring 2024)
• The wintertime class of Redeemer Theological Academy is studying a course on the Doctrine of Salvation, plus readings in J. I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God and John Murray’s Redemption: Accomplished and Applied (Winter/Spring 2023)
• The fall semester class (2024) at Redeemer Theological Academy is “History of the Early Church (Apostolic Age to AD 451). In addition to weekly lectures, we are reading selections from the Apostolic Fathers (Clement, Ignatius, the Didache, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, and the Shepherd of Hermas)