The first years were spent as a Mission Church within the Parish of All Saints on the edge of Burnley. The first temporary building on land at the corner of Liverpool Rd and Owen St. in Rosegrove was dedicated in April 1908 but was extensively damaged by a fire on January 25th 1909.After restoration and some additions, it was re-opened some three months later.
During the First World War men from Saint Mark's served in the armed forces and returned to find that house building in Rosegrove did not continue nevertheless the church remained a viable proposition. The vision of a permanent church remained amongst the congregation and there were occasional activities to raise more money. It was these early activities that first fired myself and others of my age with enthusiasm for the building of a new Saint Mark's Church.
    The Second World War again saw the men serving in the armed forces but in spite of this the financial position of the church improved. This was the time when Holy Communion began to take a more central place in the worship. Saint Mark's still could not fully maintain itself however and the link with All Saints remained important. Immediately following the war there had apparently been almost enough money collected to start to build but costs soared and efforts soon became concentrated on maintaining the existing building. The development of Stoops and Bleak House housing estates meant that Rosegrove was no longer the best place for a permanent church but it wasn't until the Rev G.A.Williams became Vicar of All Saints that the ball began rolling towards independence again and other options were considered. Saint Mark's actually achieved the first step towards independence in 1950 but because of legal constraints it was not until Jan.19th 1956 that The Rev. P.J.M.Bolt was appointed and licensed as Priest in Charge. Further changes in the services were made from now on, and a Sung Eucharist was introduced for the first time. I well remember that the organist  (yours truly) was required to do a great deal of work with the choir during the first weeks of Rev.Phillip Bolt's reign.
    To simply write "the foundation stone for the new church was laid on the 14th of April 1962", would be easy but this would be to ignore the dedicated work that was required from 1956 to 1962 and in the years up to that time from 1907 and there was indeed a LOT of work put into the project. The church was dedicated by the Bishop of Burnley on Holy Saturday 1963 and The Rev. Phillip Bolt stayed on until early in 1965 He was succeeded by The Rev.A.C.Taylor who, because a loan of £6000 given by Mr.William Thompson, a retired mill owner, was made into a gift, was able to be inducted as the first vicar of the new parish. An appointment, which he held for the rest of his life.
    Stewardship has been important in the church's development. The first campaign (one of the first in the deanery) and a subsequent follow up, were largely responsible for funding Saint Mark's share of the building work. Afterwards, in the new church, a campaign became a regular event every three years each one dedicated to some special purpose. For example, the provision of a Church Hall and replacing the electronic organ with a 'proper' church organ. The last stewardship campaign was conducted around 1988 and although it certainly had the affect of stemming a decreasing income it seems that the assets of time and talent and people required to conduct these campaigns had become depleted and had not been replaced. (Something which a number of churches in the area have also experienced). Nevertheless the things added to the church by virtue of the campaigns remain and there have been other improvements through gifts, which make the church a wonderful place in which to worship and pray.
    The connection with Rosegrove remains and is cherished indeed there are still a considerable number of people on the electoral roll who live in the Rosegrove area. The motorway, which has caused problems of access for some of the Burnley parishes because of the route it takes, has proved to make no difference to St.Mark's parish. The main trunk road, which runs through the parish from one end to, the other acts like a spinal column from which access roads branch off into the various estates and Rosegrove simply becomes the last area on that spine. Access to Rosegrove being achieved in exactly the same way it has always been since the parish was formed.

    The work of the parish which started in Rosegrove is now moving more and more into the other housing and industrial estates with which Saint Mark's is surrounded--as it must---and  indeed it must also include as a priority work with the children and the teenagers in all areas of this young parish which is only now itself just ' coming of age' and is trying to survive (as the teenagers and children must also try) in a world which seems to be less and less aware of the eternal hope that is come into the world through and because of the work of Jesus Christ.