Rebbe Michael Marks, a Jewish believer, came to Yeshua in 1974. He has served in various ministries since 1975. Rebbe Michael and his wife Winnie started their first ministry with just two hundred dollars, creating Sonshine Mission House, a post-hippie crisis-center in Denver. During the two years it was in operation they housed, fed and helped more than 1800 people.

In 1977, they moved to Canon City, where they opened the Shekinah Coffeehouse, and Elohim Alley Recreation Center, a non-traditional ministry which provided weekend concerts by contemporary Christian musical artists. The ministry eventually expanded to include a youth-oriented rec-center, Elohim Alley, a religious bookstore, and community seminars on a variety of youth-related topics.

In 1980, Michael became a Youth Pastor for a mainline Christian denomination in Canon City. On July 11 th 1983, Rebbe Marks Received his diploma in Pastoral Theology from the Bible Extention Institute of the Evangelical Church Alliance and on March 24 th 1984 was ordained by the Evangelical Church Alliance. In 1985, Rebbe Marks spent time in Haiti where he, along with several other Americans, built an orphanage.

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In 1985, the couple moved to San Jose, California, where Michael took the position of Associate Minister in the Willow Glen Alliance Church, and where he was ordained by the Christian and Missionary Alliance. In 1988, they returned to Canon City, and founded Cornerstone Alliance Church there.

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The desire to practice and teach the whole Word of God has always been the most important force in Rebbe Michael’s life and ministry. As the Messianic movement has grown and interest in Messianic Jewish lifestyle and worship practices has grown, Michael left the traditional church to return back to his own people and into the area of Messianic Jewish Ministry in 1996.

This change was predominately due to what Michael calls “An Encounter with the God Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. While praying on Yom Kippur at the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem, the realization of who he was and what he was became a life changing epiphany. Shorty thereafter, he left his Church of ten years to enter into full time Jewish work.

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On the first Shabbat January, 1997, with the support of just a few families, a new Messianic Fellowship was born in Pueblo, Colorado, which would eventually become Shammash Ariel Messianic Synagogue.  

Since 1997, Rebbe Michael Marks has authored the book “The New Testament and The Law” and, along with his wife Winnie, has co-authored the book “Traditions: the Reasons Why”. The Rebbe is currently working on several new projects. He was also the first Jewish believer to serve as the National President of Alliance Jewish Ministries Association of the C&MA. He also served as the President of the Association of Torah Messianic Communities.

Michael has served as guest teacher in the Ukraine and Poland in 2001 and 2002 at the invitation of Anshey Rachamin, which is an international humanitarian organization aiding destitute Jews in the former Soviet Union. Rebbe has been a guest participant at the Hashivenu Conference several times. However, his greatest pleasure is when he spends time in Israel or teaches on Israel.

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In January 2011 tragedy struck when the Rabbi’s wife Winnie passed away from cancer. This was a terrible loss that left a gaping hole in both the heart of the Rabbi and that of the congregation. However, God is merciful!

Later in that year, Rabbi Michael would attend a UMJC conference in Dallas, Texas. There he would meet Roxane Stoll, a retired Air Force medic from the UMJC congregation of Colorado Springs. Several months would pass before Roxane would reenter the Rabbi’s life at a shared Rosh Hashanah celebration. Many months later they met yet again, this time at a meeting that was planning for a tour to Israel.

With the permission of Roxane’s Rabbi (Rabbi Rittenhouse) they began to date and then the following year they would marry. Today the Rabbi and Rebbetzin Roxane both serve Shammash Ariel through their respective ministries and lead the congregation together. In their free time they enjoy motorcycling across the country. 

On September 16th, Rosh HaShannah, Rabbi Marks transferred the mantle of his spiritual authority as lead Rabbi to Rabbi Rittenhouse. During this same ceremony both Rabbi Marks and Rabbi Rittenhouse received their second Semikhah (ordination) from Rabbi Ken MacNeil, the President of the UMJA (United Messianic Jewish Assemblies). Shammash Ariel recently joined the UMJA as members and will be partnering with them going forward. Rabbi Marks will remain on the Rabbinical team and will continue his daily video podcasts, weekly "Wake Up" broadcasts, and many other invaluable contributions of service to both Shammash Ariel and the community of Pueblo.