The Office of the Chaplain of The International Swimming Hall of Fame seeks to support a diversity of beliefs through the multi-faith character of the chaplaincy and its relationship to numerous religious life affiliates. We acknowledge the importance of faith, both in our individual and collective lives, and strive to provide opportunities for members of The International Swimming Hall of Fame community to express and explore their faith in a supportive community. The core work of chaplaincy is rooted in the care of the whole person – body, soul and spirit. As such, a key aspect of our office is to make available pastoral care and advice for multiple faiths and for any member of The International Swimming Hall of Fame – athletes, coaches, families and staff.  This can happen through worship services, individual counsel, programming on critical spiritual themes, intervention in medical emergencies, mortality concerns and presiding at key life rituals.

In the Office of the Chaplain we want to expand religious literacy and broaden knowledge of other spirituality, as well as promote interfaith dialogue and religious ideas that are reflective of our diverse community.

About

The Office of the Chaplain is committed to cultivating a spiritually formative environment for the International Swimming Hall of Fame community through worship practices, spiritual mentorship, pastoral care and faith resources.

 The Office of The Chaplain also serves as a resource within the community by establishing relationships between the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Religious Leaders within the community. In such a capacity the chaplain may involve other religious leaders in helping to support multiple spiritual needs of The International Swimming Hall of Fame. During a natural disaster, the chaplains may help coordinate the efforts and resources of the religious community, first responders and the city to provide relief.

Dr. Mark G. “Marcos” Van Dorn leads the ISHOF Office of the Chaplain.  He is the Lead Pastor of Florida Faith Church, a multicultural community “Living Faith For Real People”.

He is a father, family man, friend and extreme sports enthusiast. Mark was born in New Jersey and he and his wife Olga have been an integral part of our South Florida community for over 19 years. Van Dorn spent a large part of his life living between Denver, Colorado and Madrid, Spain.  His wife is from Caceres, Spain.  He can often be found kayaking, scuba diving or surfing in South Florida. Mark spent the first 40-years of his life focused on education, business, language and culture, earning degrees including a Master of Business Administration and a Doctorate in Business Administration. In 2013, Mark received his Master of Divinity degree. He has held executive and administrative positions with state universities and within private and public business enterprise. Mark’s wife, Olga is a journalist for NBC Telemundo. Mark and Olga have a beautiful daughter named Gloria.

Care Sessions

• Crisis care including hospital visits and funerals
• On-site sessions to discuss family, marriage and emotional needs

Privacy

• Confidential
• Permission-based
• Participation is always voluntary

chaplain@ishof.org