Mark Woodworth Rollins

On Sunday, February 12, 2017, Mark Woodworth Rollins entered eternity after a sudden illness. Born in Riverdale, Maryland in1945, Mark also lived in Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado, California, and Oklahoma. His diverse experiences and irrepressible curiosity imbued him with a unique appreciation—and compassion—for all of humanity.

After graduating from Manzano High School (1964) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mark earned his BA from the University of Denver in International Relations and his JD from the University of Tulsa. He was subsequently awarded a clerkship at the Supreme Court of New Mexico before beginning his legal career in the border town of Brawley, California, where he practiced law with a particular passion for helping migrant workers faced with deportation and working with citizens’ rights organizations.

In 1980, Mark returned to Tulsa where he launched TransMark Energy, a natural gas company serving customers in the Northeast. After a spring break trip through the Copper Canyon of northern Mexico in 1989, Mark’s interests turned to serving the needs of the underserved worldwide. Bolstered by his language proficiency in Spanish and Russian, Mark founded Christ for Humanity (CFH) in 1991, a Christian humanitarian-aid ministry dedicated to bringing physical help and spiritual hope to the poor both internationally and domestically. After receiving a shipping grant from the State Department, CFH became one of the top-ten exporters of humanitarian aid to the former Soviet Union. CFH touched the needy in more than 50 countries from Russia and Mexico to West Africa and India. Locally, the ministry partners with numerous area churches and other ministries, meeting the needs of Oklahoma’s poor.

Mark was especially devoted to his family, including his beloved wife, Tina; his sons and grandchildren; nephews and niece, and their extended families. But his devotion did not end with his nuclear family, as anyone who knew him and experienced his love can attest. Mark embraced people from every walk of life. He took seriously the Great Commission to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every tribe and nation. We rejoice that he is now face-to-face with his Lord and with many of the souls his love brought into a relationship with Christ.
Mark was preceded in death by his father Elmer L. Rollins and his mother Eva Lynn Rollins. He is survived by his wife Christina Rollins; his son Matthew T. Rollins and wife Laura; his son C. Blake Rollins and wife Monique; his four grandsons Jonah, Dylan, Edward and Owen; his sister and brother-in-law Lynn Rollins Price and Dr. Landon Price; nephews Grant Price, Cameron Price, and Karl Norman Kriegh, and niece Melinda Rider.

Services for Mark will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 25th at Fellowship Bible Church — 5434 East 91st Street. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Mark W. Rollins Memorial Fund at Christ for Humanity.