Mark Batterson (born November 5, 1969, in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American pastor and author. Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. NCC was recognized as one of the Most Innovative and Most Influential Churches in America by Outreach Magazine in 2008. Batterson is also the author of the books Win the Day, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, and Wild Goose Chase. Batterson's New York Times bestseller The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears was released in December 2011.

Background

He was raised in Naperville, Illinois having been born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Batterson first went to the University of Chicago via a scholarship to major in pre-law and playing basketball. He was called to full-time ministry, which led to a move to Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

Personal

Batterson has a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree from Regent University. Batterson also has two master's degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, Illinois, and a bachelor's degree from Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. He is a graduate of Naperville (Illinois) Central High School.

National Community Church

Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. NCC has campuses in Washington, DC; Northern Virginia; and online. Ebenezers is owned and operated by NCC. In 2008, Ebenezers was recognized as the No. 1 coffeehouse in the metro DC area by AOL CityGuide and has been profiled by The Washington Post and The Washington Times.

New media

Batterson and the NCC staff became known for their use of new media. Since 2005, Batterson's sermons have been available via podcast. Batterson's use of Twitter for ministry purposes was covered by The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer in 2009.

Books

Batterson is the author of 25 books, including A Million Little Miracles: Rediscover the God Who Is Bigger Than Big, Closer Than Close, and Gooder Than Good (Multnomah; 11/19/24), Please, Sorry, Thanks: The Three Words That Change Everything (Multnomah; 4/3/23), Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More, Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God, Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be and Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn't Scare You, It's Too Small. Most focus on issues of Christian living.

Social and political views

On sex

Batterson is quoted by Washingtonian magazine as saying "We ought to be more concerned about being biblically correct than politically correct"..."So here is the biblical bottom line: Sex outside of marriage is wrong. Sex is a sacred covenant between a husband and a wife. Period."

On LGBTQ+ sexual orientation

During an interview with Washingtonian magazine, Batterson "[pointed] to a sermon in which he included homosexuality in a list of sexual sins." On April 17, 2014, Batterson was a guest on "The Kojo Nnamdi Show". During the interview, Nnamdi asked Batterson: "So do you believe or consider that homosexuality is a sin?" Batterson replied:"Yeah, you know, I believe that marriage is something between a husband and a wife. I think that sex is a gift from God. It was his idea. And so our church celebrates that. But it's a gift that was meant for the covenant relationship of marriage. And so that's something that we teach and encourage."In his sermon "The Elephant in the Church: The Gray Elephant", Batterson explains:"So when a church hangs a plaque endorsing homosexuality it's a gray elephant. It is approving of something God disapproves of. And while it may seem loving and accepting to some, it is approving of something God disapproves of. And that is neither loving nor honest."

Books