GREENEVILLE – In his 26 years as a Tusculum University family member, Mark Stokes played an integral role in faith development on campus, including serving as chaplain, and was intimately connected to various Presbyterian entities in Greene County and other parts of the region.
Mark Stokes
Dr. Scott Hummel, standing, announces the renaming to The Stokes Lectures on Theology and Religion.
One aspect of his extensive work for which he became known was his coordination of the hugely popular Theologian-In-Residence, an annual four-week series that explores religious and historical subjects in great detail. The annual event, usually held weekly in February, provides students, faculty and staff as well as the community an opportunity to draw closer to God and learn about subjects with a connection to faith.
To recognize Stokes’ outstanding contributions to Tusculum, which included serving in multiple leadership roles, the university is renaming Theologian-In-Residence to The Stokes Lectures on Theology and Religion. Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president, announced the change during the final session of this year’s series Friday, Feb. 28. The change is effective immediately.
“Mark was a dedicated Christian servant who had a profound impact on Tusculum’s development and campus ministries,” Dr. Hummel said. “Tusculum is a better higher education institution because of Mark’s relentless commitment to the university’s well-being and the spiritual growth of our faculty, staff and students. We are honored to recognize such a godly man and know his efforts to enrich personal lives continue to resonate on campus and in the region even though he is unfortunately no longer with us in person.”
Stokes passed away in 2015, a year after he was commissioned Tusculum’s chaplain. That appointment followed his three years of study and commissioning as a ruling elder in the Holston Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Dr. Hummel and Dr. Chris Shumate, Tusculum’s assistant vice president of student affairs and campus minister, met with Jeanne Stokes, who was married to Mark for 38 years when he passed, to discuss the new name for the annual lecture series, and she gave her blessing.
“To name the series for Mark is an incredible honor, and my family and I are extremely grateful to Tusculum for this gesture,” said Jeanne, who retired from the university in 2020 after 31 years of service. “Mark’s heart and soul were with Tusculum, and he was known in the community for his service at the university. People referred to him as Mr. Tusculum. It is wonderful to know that his name will be attached to a program that was such a passion of his at a university he loved dearly.”
Jeanne said the couple’s two sons were also thankful to see their father remembered.
“They were really impressed and very touched because they also knew their father’s passion for Tusculum and how much he liked his job,” she said.
Mark Stokes, left, was commissioned as Tusculum’s chaplain in 2014. Dr. Dan Donaldson, right, then the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Greeneville, conducted the ceremony.
Mark Stokes speaks at a chapel service.
Dr. Hummel said the change in name for the series was not only important to recognize Stokes and his legacy but also to reflect the way the program has evolved in the more than 30 years Tusculum has held it. Originally, a theologian who was in residence at the university and taught classes provided the lectures, but that is no longer the case.
These days, the university recruits a different speaker or speakers each year. The presenter sometimes is a Tusculum employee – Dr. Travis Williams, professor of religion, and Dr. Jeffrey Perry, associate professor of history, have been recent examples. Dr. Hummel also led one year’s sessions via Zoom during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More frequently, Tusculum brings in a speaker from outside the university. This year, Dr. Ramy N. Marcos, pastor of Erwin Presbyterian Church, delivered the lectures.
Jeanne Stokes said her husband enjoyed having speakers that discussed a wide array of subjects, and he would reach out to others to help him find something different. That breadth of subject matter continues today.
This year’s series discussed “Christianity in the Middle East.” Additional themes have been “Religion in Appalachia: Faith in the Mountains in the Past, Present and Future” in 2024, “The Satan and the Forces of Evil” in 2023 and “Translation Opens a Window – Key Developments in English Bible History” in 2022.
The series has been a highly regarded resource, with as many as 200 community members from dozens of churches filling Chalmers Conference Center for sessions.
This is the new name for the series.
“Renaming the series The Stokes Lectures on Theology and Religion will celebrate a man who meant so much to Tusculum while retaining the quality that has made this program a can’t-miss event each year,” Dr. Shumate said. “We appreciate Jeanne for providing her backing for the new name and admire her service to Tusculum and leadership in our community. We are proud to be associated with the Stokes family.”
When Mark Stokes became chaplain, he oversaw weekly chapel services and served as advisor to the student religious organizations. He continued to coordinate the Council on Church Relations and develop and maintain the relationship with the Presbyterian Church (USA) through positions on Presbytery committees and as a liaison to the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Synod of Living Waters, the Holston Presbytery, the Presbytery of East Tennessee and First Presbyterian Church of Greeneville. First Presbyterian is Tusculum’s mother church.
During his career at Tusculum, Mark Stokes also held many leadership roles, including heading the Office of Admission, the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Institutional Advancement. He also served as the vice president of administration, overseeing such diverse areas as the museums, information systems and building projects. Jeanne Stokes served as director of TRIO programs for the last 29 years of her 31 years of service at Tusculum.
Tusculum encourages donations in support of the Stokes Lectures on Theology and Religion. The university incurs costs to provide the speakers and other elements of the series, and donations from the community are essential to ensure Tusculum can continue to offer the program. People can visit www.tusculum.edu/giving and select the Stokes Lectures on Theology and Religion in the drop-down menu.
To learn more about campus ministries, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/campus-ministries/. More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.