Bishop Mark C. Tolbert was born the 5th child to Lee A. and Lorene Tolbert. You could never keep him still, he was the life of the party. In his early years his entrepreneurial spirit shined through the midst of an era of poverty and despair. At age 9, Mark started a lawn care service and had 3 employees. His initial goal was to purchase the brand of tennis shoes he desired but his entrepreneurial thrust opened up his understanding to commerce and business practices. From there everything he thought about had to have business acumen.  

Mark Tolbert is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, Graduate of Central High School, attended Penn Valley Community College and received his DD from Western Baptist Bible College. In 1989, Bishop Tolbert became Senior Pastor of Victorious Life Church, 3400 Paseo. He is the former President of the Concerned Clergy Coalition of Greater Kansas City (an ecumenical group comprising of 18 Denominations and over 300 Pastors), President of Sparrow Community Development Corporation, former Board Member of the Friends of Sacred Structures, President of Lee A. Tolbert Charter School Board, Diocesan Bishop of the Canadian District Council and Chairman of the Northwestern District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Bishop Tolbert married Emelda Tolbert in 1978. There were two children born into this marriage, Mark, Jr. (Gone Home to Glory) and Britton Elliot. 

The Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy Charter School was founded by Bishop Mark Tolbert in 1999. The first year opened with 287 students. Now the student body is over 500. The Tolbert Charter Academies School District is accredited and has a waiting list of students to be enrolled. We have managed to help hundreds of youth and adults find help and direction for their futures.