Pastor Marcus J. Serven has served as a Presbyterian minister for forty-six years of pastoral ministry. Licensed to preach in 1980, he was ordained in 1981 and served churches in California, Missouri, and Texas. In 2016 he 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 as a volunteer in the adult education classes at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA).
In 2019 the church elders at Redeemer recalled him to serve on the church staff as their Pastor of Christian Discipleship. In this role he taught numerous adult classes, worked with pastoral interns, provided pastoral care, assisted in leading weekly worship services, preached as needed, and founded Redeemer Theological Academy serving as its Director. On May 31, 2026, after seven years of service at Redeemer, Pastor Serven retired for a second time. He continues as an active member of the Presbytery of South Texas (PCA), and spends his time researching and writing on Reformed theology and the history of Christ’s 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-seven grandchildren. Marcus and Cheryl Serven currently reside in the Texas Hill Country outside of Austin, Texas.
Education:
- B.A. in Psychology, University of California at Davis, CA [1976]
- M.Div. in Theology and Pastoral Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA [1979]
- Graduate Studies in NT Greek and Systematic Theology, Talbot Theological Seminary-Extension Campus, Sun Valley CA [1986]
- Th.M. in Biblical and Pastoral Theology, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO [1992]
- D.Min. in Historical and Pastoral Theology, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO [2011]
Current Memberships:
- Evangelical Theological Society [since 1992]
- Calvin Studies Society [since 2000]
- Presbytery of South Texas (PCA) [since 2019]
Publications:
- “How the Mighty Have Fallen: An Essay on the Providence of God” in Life Is But A Vapor: The Life and Legacy of Michael Billings, Wesley Strackbein, ed. (San Antonio, TX: Wesley Strackbein, 2008), 47-57.
- “Seeking the Old Paths: Towards a Recovery of John Calvin’s Pastoral Theology Amongst Reformed and Presbyterian Pastors Today” (Dissertation for the Doctor of Ministry Degree – 2011, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO. My supervisor was Dr. David B. Calhoun)
- “Give Me Scotland, or I Die! The Life and Ministry of John Knox” (Booklet: Published by the Genevan Foundation for Cultural Renewal, 2013)
- “John Calvin’s Pastoral Theology: An Explanatory Outline” in The Confessional Presbyterian Journal (Vol. 13, 2017)
- “Bearing the Cross: John Calvin on the Adversities of Life” in Modern Reformation Magazine (Vol. 27, No. 2, April 2018) – This article is available online: Here
- “The Care of Souls: John Calvin’s Shepherding Ministry” in Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies (Vol. 3, Issue 1, 2018) – This article is available online: Here
