Mark Rutland (born November 5, 1947) is a missionary, evangelist, ordained minister of the International Ministerial Fellowship, and founder of Global Servants, formerly known as the Trinity Foundation.
The House of Grace is a home for tribal girls threatened by sexual slavery in Chiang Rai City, Thailand.
Rutland was born in Commerce, Texas but grew up and was raised throughout the southeastern United States, including Florida and Georgia, until finally coming of age in Maryland.
His first mission was to Mexico in 1977 where he worked with American missionary couple Jim and Helen Mann in the village of Laborcitas (Rutland, 1987 p. 51–53).
Rutland's mission to Ghana in 1979 consisted of a 28-day crusade in which he preached in many places and churches throughout the country, including the cities of Accra and Kumasi.
[5] The House of Grace was started as a place of refuge for young ethnic Akha girls at risk of becoming ensnared in the lucrative Southeast Asian sex slave trade.
[8] After completing his two years at Mount Paran, Rutland took the helm of the financially struggling and leaderless Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida, in 1990.
[9] When Rutland arrived at Calvary, the church was reeling from the effects of a financial crisis (bankruptcy was thought to be inevitable), a sexual scandal, and drastically reduced membership.
Calvary was among the largest Assembly of God congregations in the United States[10] and during Rutland's leadership of the church, attendance increased from 1,800 to 3,600.
[7] As well, more than $50 million has been invested in various construction and renovation projects on campus,[10] including new dormitories, a new cafeteria, administrative offices, a fitness center and a bookstore.
[19] Rutland has remained active as the founder and director of the National Institute on Christian Leadership, a one-year educational program for ministry and business leaders.