Our District Superintendent


Mark Chow serves as the Hocking River District Superintendent of The West Ohio Area of The United Methodist Church. The district consists of 89 congregations, located in 10 counties through southeastern Ohio.

Born in Iowa to Rev. W. Jing & Betty Chow, Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts in speech-theater from Ohio Northern University and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. He was ordained an elder in the West Ohio Conference in 1989. Since that time, he has served the church in a variety of ministry settings. His previous appointments include Urbana, associate; Vaughnsville; Oxford, associate; Woodville; assistant to the district superintendent (former Toledo District); Newark First, associate; and assistant to the district superintendent (Capitol Area South District) and Zanesville Grace.

Mark is married to Nancy Schumacher-Chow. Nancy is a cancer survivor. In June 2006, she received a bone marrow transplant as part of her treatment for acute leukemia. Leaders and members of the West Ohio Conference and many others surrounded her in prayer. Thanks be to God, through many prayers and treatments, she was healed.

The Chows are the parents of four adult daughters: Jayme, a culinary teacher in Columbus Downtown High School; Jenn, an audiologist in Chicago; Deborah, a vocal music teacher at Columbus School for Girls; and Molly, a music teacher in Atlanta. They have a grandson, Henry, and a granddaughter, Rachel. They also take joy in grandparenting their five grand dogs: Buddy, Ellie, Carol, Britta and Oliver.