Revelation Road

Mark Baynes grew up in Macon, GA where he became a Christian at age 11. He attended Mercer University where he played college basketball and in 1992 he received a B.A. in Communications, which also included an internship with CNN Sports. Although Mark had learned some piano as a child, it was during his senior year in college that he picked up the guitar. I didn't grow up wanting to be a musician. says Mark. As a matter of fact, I didn't even want to be in the ministry. But God's ways are not ours & He will complete the work he began in us. In summer 1992 Mark moved to Thomas-ville, GA as youth intern at FBC. Mark then lived in Dublin, GA for two years, working and serving as part-time youth minister at First Baptist Church Eventually God called him to full-time vocational ministry and in 1994 he enrolled at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL. My time at Beeson was life changing, not only because of the theology & Biblical studies, but just being around some choice servants of the Lord. Spending time with men like Dr. Lewis Drummond or Calvin Miller...the fact that I can call them friends...was inspiring and helped me to see what a lifetime of servant-hood & excellence in ministry is all about. In the summer of 1996 Mark had the opportunity to travel with Dr. Drummond to Ukraine, preaching the Word in local churches and using his guitar to encourage believers in the Lord. When Mark returned to Birmingham his invitations began to pick up and in the fall of 1996 he began to pursue those opportunities. I began meeting staff members from various churches & the invitations began to come to lead worship at a retreat or give a concert for an event the church was having. All during this time of ministry Mark continued to press forward with his schoolwork and in the spring of 1998 he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree. I was so thankful to the Lord for finishing my degree from Beeson Divinity School. I firmly believe that having a good voice or being a skillful player should never overshadow my knowledge of God's Word & the ability to teach it clearly. The music is a creative way of communicating the Word of God, says Mark. As a matter of fact, I have become just as comfortable teaching a Bible Study or preaching from the pulpit as I am when I have a guitar in my hands. It was in his last year of studies that Mark began to make some new friends that would be instrumental in his continued calling. One of these new friends was Brent Lamb. An established songwriter and veteran Nashville recording artist, Brent agreed to produce Mark's CD entitled Held Deep Inside. The title of the CD comes from a line in the song We Belong, says Mark. One of the verses says 'held deep inside of...a Father's tender love.' The apostle John reminds us of this when he says, 'What kind of love the Father has lavished upon us...that we should be called the children of God, Mark shares. What a great message God has entrusted to us. This is a message for the rich & the poor as well as the young & the old. I hope we can sing this in our churches for a long time. In addition to producing the project, Brent was also interested in some of the songs Mark had written. This led to Mark becoming a songwriter for a publishing company and writers group that Brent was developing called the The PlayGround Writer's Group. I had always wanted to be a writer but never dreamed that a guy like Brent would be interested in my music. I am thankful to God for Brent & his encouragement to me, not only as a songwriter but as a man of God. Soon after the CD was finished Mark released his first single, So Good, which began receiving play on Christian radio. Although Mark writes much of his own material, he also enjoys singing the classic hymns. For a concert & worship service I'll use much of my own material but I'll also work in other great writers. Having grown up in a small church, he developed a deep love and respect for the classic hymn writers. I enjoy taking old hymns & arranging them on the acoustic guitar or a fresh piano arrangem