Mark A. Scherer, Ph.D.

Mark Albert Scherer serves as the Community of Christ World Church Historian. He holds the academic rank of Associate Professor of History with Graceland University and teaches for Community of Christ Seminary, which is administered by the university. As World Church Historian, Mark advises the Community of Christ councils, quorums, and orders in matters of historical interpretation. He also gathers oral histories and administers the World Church jurisdictional history program.

A strongly committed advocate for ecumenism, Mark also serves as an adjunct graduate professor of history at the United Methodist-sponsored Baker University, in Overland Park, Kansas, teaching courses on history of the American frontier, American presidential history survey, and a focus course on the history of the Truman presidency at the Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri. Mark also adjuncts with the American Baptist-sponsored Ottawa University, in Ottawa, Kansas, teaching a course on American frontier history associated with his family-owned Steamboat Arabia museum in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1998, Mark earned a doctor of philosophy degree in interdisciplinary studies (history and education) from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. His dissertation “A Material Cultural Analysis of the Foundational History of Latter Day Saintism, 1827-1844” received the Honorable Mention award from among the theses and dissertations submitted to the university for the 1998 academic year.

Mark also holds a master of arts degree in American history from the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC), and a baccalaureate degree with a double-major in history and in social studies education from Graceland College, Lamoni, Iowa. Mark taught for 22 years in secondary public education. After completing his master’s, he taught for 14 years at UMKC as an adjunct faculty member. In September 1994, Mark became the church’s Assistant Historian, then World Church Historian in May 1995.

In 1984 the Daughters of the American Revolution honored Mark as “Teacher of the Year” for Missouri. In 2004 He was elected president of the John Whitmer Historical Association. In his community, Mark serves as a member of the Harry S. Truman Public Service Award committee for the City of Independence and is a member of the Jackson County Historical Society.

Mark enjoys reading, exploring, and making sense of the past and loves to study artifacts as physical history. He is a bona fide political junkie, plays golf, and enjoys being with his family (although not necessarily in that order). Mark is married to Rita L. Hawley of Independence, Missouri. They have two sons, Brett and Bryan.

Community of Christ has 250,000 members in more than 50 nations. The church’s mission is to “proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.” Community of Christ International Headquarters is located in Independence, Missouri.