About Us

 

Streetfire Ministries – Origins and Backgrounds

Streetfire Ministries was birthed in the mid-80’s and from it came the band “Streetfire” which consisted of a vision into the heart of Mark DeLap from the Holy Spirit. Mark was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the late 50’s and his childhood memories of music ranged from listening to classical music, Croation folk music, polka music, country music, light pop, gospel, oldies… etc. “It seemed like every one in my family liked a different style – and I adapted to each one,” he said. “My dad used to come in and sing with us each night just before we fell asleep. He had quite a selection of songs from ‘Springtime in the Rockies’ to ‘Swingin on a Star’ to ‘In The Garden’ to silly made-up songs for each of us kids. Mom was a professional model and full time homemaker, and used to love the classic love songs of the time and we can remember her recording songs like, ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’, on reel to reel tape for dad to listen to when he got home from work. She also used to pull out her accordion and played songs for us… everything from ‘Alley Cat’ to ‘Puff The Magic Dragon’. As a family, she would pack us up and gather the autoharps as we would head to nursing homes to sing for the grandmas and grandpas. My early childhood hero was my cousin, (1992 Grammy Winner) Peter Stampfel who had an early beatnik/country/folk group called “The Holy Modal Rounders”. I can remember Peter and Steve (Weber) coming to Menomonee Falls with their guitars in the 60’s and playing mini-concerts in our house. I was mezmerized. He has been a musical inspiration ever since. When we weren’t singing – mom had us watching old black and white movies and musicals!”

His brother, Todd, and Mark were usually the family entertainment at gatherings – from puppet shows to musical recitals. Todd ended up going to Broadway and was very popular with his friends and fans until his death in 1989. Mark started a two man band with John Reiter (and later at the University of Wisconsin with Paul Lenz) in high school and under the name of “Rainbow Crest” – He also kept with the varied styles, taking firsts in state competitions through high school with (of all things…) his tuba and also being selected into the Milwaukee Youth Symphony. He earned a music scholarship to the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and was in concert band and in the University Jazz band. 1975 – Freshman year, Buddy Brisbois came to the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire to judge the jazz festival. Mark transposed a Duke Ellington bass trombone solo for his double B-flat tuba and as he stood up to “squeal the solo” on his tuba – the crowd erupted in a thundering applause. Brisbois stood up and as he addressed Keezer’s Jazz band, he pointed his finger directly at Mark and proclaimed… “TUBA!!! I have never heard anything like that before!!!” and promptly awarded Mark the Outstanding Jazz Soloist Award… the first one ever given to a tuba player in the history of the competition.

Upon graduation from the University, the group “Rainbow Crest” broke up and after a semester of teaching at a high school in Minneapolis, Mark dedicated his life full time to ministry.

His music found purpose and depth as he began to explore and sing old revival spirituals from composers such as Doris Akers and Thomas Dorsey. While in the early 80’s Mark picked up the piano on his own – and still plays today strictly by ear. His life until this point was singing other people’s songs – but at age 25 he wrote his first song – a gospel tune called “When You See Him”. His first Album produced in 1985 featured his piano and voice – and each song was an original. His varied musical background is evident on this project as he does a song “Holy Ghost” in the swing style of the 40’s, “Latter Rain” which is a 70’s ballad style, and “The Bride” which is a ballad pen from the 80’s.

The band “Streetfire” actually was incepted out of a revival in Prairie du Chein, WI and had much success as an early form of the contemporary worship bands that we hear today. The band had no limits to their audiences – playing in coffeehouses, churches, state fairs, weddings and even funerals! The band was in existence with two guitars, two (sometimes 3) keyboards, a drummer and a three vocal attack until the mid-90’s. The band consisted of Mark DeLap, Billy Becker, Terry Lenstra, Mason Pacini, Ron Glassbrenner, Mike Bender and Steve Carlson.

Mark went solo from 1998 until 2006 where many studio projects were completed and 10 CDs were released in that period. He did everything from somgs like “Do You Believe in Magic” to “Sunshine On My Shoulders” to “Just The Way You Look Tonight” to “Paper Moon” with the Stephan Grapelli Trio as a background, to countless originals – both secular and gospel. In addition to music, Mark is a talented writer who has one novel to his credit “In The Always” – PublishAmerica 2003 and “The Little Acorn” – PublishAmerica 2010. You can purchase books, CDs and DVDs by going directly to the StreetfireMinistries website.

From 2016-2018 – Streetfire Church has moved to Minnesota where Mark’s ministry took on some added personal learning as he took a secular job in his collegiate career track of journalism and also was a photographer for National Geographic. During this period of time he wrote and edited for six newspapers in Minnesota, Iowa and finally in Wyoming from 2020-2023. He won over 40 awards for his writing and photography.

After being very satisfied in his new ventures, he toyed with retirement, but couldn’t make that happen – until a two-year stint with Champion Media in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. He pretty much burned out as he covered stories, wrote stories, wrote three columns including a church column that taught directly from the Word of God. It was called, “Streetfire,” and again that ministry was still with him. He took all the pictures and won his final four awards from the North Carolina Press Association for writing and photography.

It was a greuling 10 year period from 2016-2026. In the fall of 2018 he was given two separate dreams – showing him a woman who he was to meet five years later. Thecia Maurone Toth came to Wyoming to meet him and from that time they were inseparable.  They married in Flagstaff, Arizona in December of 2023. She has been an inspiration to his life and his ministry.

Thecia is a branch manager for VanDyk Mortgage and has had a successful mortgage career that has spanned nearly 50 years. Now on the verge of retirement together, they are open to what God is wanting to do.

From living in Florida, and then to North Carolina they have their own story of signs, wonders and miracles that have surrounded their life and marriage.

Mark is currently back to heavy intercession, prayer, worship, writing some new music and a new venture at: markdelap.com

Please visit Mark DeLap’s Fine Arts & Photography page at: https://markdelap.com/

In almost 50 years of ministry – in addition to his work as a youth pastor and an evangelist, he has pastored 10 churches in eight different states. He has been invited to teach at many ministerial conventions, youth crusades and revivals all around the country. His education took him to California where one of the most profound teachers of this generation, Jack Hayford from the Foursquare Church. The Foursquare Church (International Church of the Foursquare Gospel) is a global Pentecostal denomination founded in 1923 by Aimee Semple McPherson in Los Angeles, California. It emphasizes Jesus Christ as Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Soon-Coming King. The movement has over 8.8 million members worldwide across more than 150 nations. Pastor Hayford wrote the foreward for Mark’s children’s story – “The Little Acorn.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hRUFeRKT4&t=30s

Since 1980 it is estimated that Mark has written and prepared in excess of 8,000 teachings, has raised up over 500 ministers into ministry and preached one of the longest recorded revivals of Wisconsin Church history – that spanned two cities and ran nightly for over 33 weeks.

In 1984 he was licensed by the Church of God organization. The Church of God (Cleveland, TN) is a major international Pentecostal-Holiness denomination founded in 1886, headquartered in Cleveland, Tennessee, with over 8 million members across 189 countries. It emphasizes the baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, divine healing, and the authority of the Bible.

In 1985 he was invited to come on staff with Dr. T.L. Lowrey to pastor and to teach in their school in Washington, D.C. at National Church of God which was back then, one of the early mega churches in the country.

Information about Dr. T.L. Lowrey from Charisma Magazine:

“Lowery was an apostolic statesman. He was married to Mildred Woodard, who passed away March 8, 2015. Their son, Stephen Lanier Lowery, pastors the Washington National Church of God in Washington, D.C. Lowery has four children and eight grandchildren.

Lowery converted in 1943. He served as a pastor and evangelist until 1969, preaching in massive tent crusades nationwide and in numerous foreign countries. His evangelism ministry was marked by testimonies of thousands of converts, reports of frequent divine healings, and unnumbered persons filled with the Holy Spirit. He celebrated 70 years of ministry in 2014.

Lowery served as pastor of two Church of God congregations, North Cleveland, Tennessee and National, Washington, D.C., where he led both churches in significant growth and major building programs. Part of his pastoral legacy was an emphasis upon ministries to all strata of society. His pastoral leadership helped awaken the consciousness of the denomination to personal evangelism, lay ministry and local church outreach. In Washington, he founded an outstanding private Christian school and a Bible College and Seminary. In both pastorates he provided housing for the elderly.

Lowery may be best known as a denominational leader, serving 16 years on the Church of God Executive Committee and 34 years on the Executive Council. He was an Ambassador of Project One to the United Nations. He was a civic leader in Cleveland, Tennessee, serving leadership roles in the Chamber of Commerce, United Way and the Rotary Club. He is the author of over 87 books, most of which have been translated into numerous languages, edited three magazines and wrote many teaching booklets and articles.

His accomplishments have been acknowledged by educational leaders. In addition to an earned Ph.D. degree, he has been recognized by two institutions with honorary doctorates.

Lowery achieved unusual success as an anointed evangelist, bringing thousands into the kingdom of God. He excelled as a pastor, making disciples, growing churches and setting leadership examples for fellow pastors. He functioned as a teacher, producing books of doctrinal instruction and lecturing in Bible college classrooms. His peers and followers recognize in his ministry the gifts of prophecy and apostleship. His passion in personal ministry and in mentorship activities has been the active preservation of apostolic ministry in the Church of God and the wider Pentecostal-charismatic community. In all things, he sought to follow the Word and bring glory to God.

The ministry of T.L. Lowery was been marked by three divine assignments: He served as an evangelist, a pastor and a denominational executive. In each season of ministry, his work has been anointed by the Holy Spirit and blessed with success.”

Mark was also affiliated and ordained under Dr. Rex Gwaltney’s ministry out of Milwaukee.

One of the greatest and most endearing mentors to Mark was his personal pastor – Jack West from Minneapolis, MN.

From a candid letter of endorsement that Pastor West:

“To whom it may concern,

I have been in ministry since the early 60’s and graduated from Hub City Bible College in Sisseton, SD in 1966 under the tutelage of Pastor Lowell Lundstrom.  I have been blessed to be a Pastor with the Assemblies of God for many years.  I have also been proud to serve as a vice president for Streetfire Ministries since the mid-80’s.

I have known Pastor Mark since 1980 when I met him at the Minneapolis Evangelistic Auditorium.  I have been his personal Pastor,  mentor, evangelism traveling companion and trusted friend since that time.

Let me tell you a few things about this man that you may not find on a resume or a cover letter.  Things that perhaps he wouldn’t share because he tends not to blow his own horn.

I have witnessed first hand his call to full time ministry and some of the extreme trials he has walked through.  Year after year he has been faced with the choice of full time ministry or “something else” and he consistently chooses ministry.

His love for the Lord and His walk is something that many times I have envied and coveted.  He was truly born out of the intercessory prayer rooms of the old MEA and the touch of God on his life is not only genuine, but strong.  Many have likened his prophetic and word of knowledge ministry to that of William Branham.  What he also possesses, that I feel has outmatched many of his predecessors, is his great knowledge of the Word and the revelation he has been given.   It doesn’t puff him up,  but drives him deeper into his personal Gethsemane and he walks in a compassion and humility that you just don’t see very often.

He is not into building his own kingdom and cares nothing for being a part of ministers who are busy building theirs.  He has taken job after job in the “unknown” sectors of the church.  Those places that couldn’t afford the big evangelists…  those who had a need and couldn’t afford to send for him.  He’d hear from God and show up.

Most recently he had the chance to Pastor two very large churches.  One in North Carolina and one In California.  He passed up those most fragrant offers to reside in the snowy confines of Michigan to take a small church with a big need.  He has remained faithful there since 2007.  He could have padded his resume and moved up religious ladders – but he sacrificed his future for his call.

I have seen the struggle.  No paydays.  No benefits.  He had to drop out of pursuing his M-Div due to a lack of funds.  He could have written his ticket, but instead took a challenging assignment.   It is only now that I believe God is about to move him on and to reward him for faithful service.  He has been faithful in the little things and I believe he will be ruler over much.

Don’t mistake him being in a small setting as not being able to have anything larger for I have seen him minister to thousands.  He has more hours logged in the courts of Heaven than most ministers could only dream of.  He has not spent his life building an impressive resume in the eyes of man, but if you will simply ask God about this man,  HE WILL brag on His son.

It’s easy to Pastor a large church with the security of men and denominations… but it takes a special dedication to maintain and minister in the smaller out of the way outposts – away from the limelight and the fanfare.  That’s where you will find Pastor Mark DeLap.  And if you are fortunate enough to find him,  take a closer look,  hear with the heart of Heaven and pray that you are chosen to have him come and spend a little time with you.   I promise… your life will be richer for it.

He has never departed from anywhere without having made it a better place than how he found it.  As I told him early in his ministry…  don’t choose people, places or things because of their exploits, accolades, degrees or resume.  Let God be true and let Him speak clearly concerning those you surround yourself with.

Yes,  I most definitely would recommend Pastor Mark and would trust him with my very life.

Sincerely,

Pastor Jack C. West”