Mark Coffey

Mark and Amy Coffey have served as church-planting missionaries to South Africa since 2011.

They were missionaries to Peru from 2000-2005, and Mark also served as the General Director of Vision Baptist Missions from 2008-2010 under president Austin Gardner.

Mark serves as the Africa Field Director as well as an Executive Director.

Mark went to college with and around the same time as the other four Executive Directors with the exception of Mark Tolson who joined up with Vision around the time VBC was started in Alpharetta, GA.

Mark is one of the oldest followers dating back to when Austin was still in Peru before VBC or VBM was started. For a period of time, Mark lived with and in the Gardner's household.

He was one of Austin's right hand men for many years including in Peru and in the early years of VBM.

Even though he has not learned to speak the language of Xhosa nor started many churches but focuses more on his camp ministry (which does not follow Austin Gardner's teachings), Mark is one of the most loyal and Austin-like disciples among the Executive Directors.

Mark Coffey's wife Amy is the sister of Stephanie, Pastor Trent Cornwell's wife.

Mark's father-in-law is Pastor Wayne Cofield.

An excerpt from Mark's email to a pastor: "Please know, Bro. Gardner is like a father to me [bold emphasis added]. I was raised by a single mom with very little contact with my father growing up. I went on a 5 month mission trip to Peru in 1995 and lived with the Gardner family when I was 19 years old. God used that trip to change my life. I also lived with the Gardners for a year in 1997/1998. They are like family to me. I have been working with Brother Gardner for the last 22 years. I probably know him better than anyone outside his wife [bold emphasis added]. "

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