About Mark & Christin
Coming from small beginnings in a rural town in Upstate New York, Mark Haywood witnessed first-hand the effects of poverty as a young person from a depressed community. Throughout his formative years, Mark’s strong faith, child-like curiosity and dissatisfaction with the status quo stirred in him a desire to bring lasting change within his spheres of influence. Throughout his tenure of nearly a decade as the Senior Manager of Missions & Outreach at his local church of nearly 3,000 members, Mark has had the privilege of leading national and global missions to serve underprivileged children and youth in Kenya, India, Haiti and Honduras. Leading teams of volunteers locally, nationally and overseas, Mark has assisted our partners in building schools, establish a medical clinic and help communities recover from multiple natural disasters. He provided leadership as Interim-Executive Director at Mercy Work Inc., a foundation and inner-city youth technology center in Syracuse, NY and most recently has led the establishment of REACH International Children’s Center in Bungoma, Kenya, an NGO which rescues young boys living on the streets and provides a rehabilitation home for them to be restored to health in every facet of life. Mark is a licensed minister through the Abundant Life Ministerial Association in East Syracuse, NY and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Alliance Theological Seminary of Nyack College, Nyack, NY. Throughout his travels, Mark formed the vision of bringing together societal leaders for the purpose of developing and implementing innovations that benefit the lives of young people who otherwise suffer the effects of poverty, violence, exploitation and deprivation.
In serving her local church, Christin Haywood reignited her passion for leadership development in the work she has done for other nonprofit organizations, locally and internationally. Christin has extensive experience in the Human Resources field and has spent over fifteen years in various consulting capacities within the financial, construction and insurance industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY and earned a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Specialists through the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Christin most recently received her certification in the International Harrison Behavior Assessment tool and specializes in statistical analysis as it relates to predictive human and professional preferences leading to personal fulfillment and job performance.
Christin’s purpose is to train up current and next generation leaders to be the change agents of their homes, communities, governments and educational institutions.
Mark and Christin married in 2005 and are raising three amazing children. Together with their family, they intend to spend the balance of their lives working on behalf of the welfare and future of children around the world through the efforts of Marvelous Ways International.
