Surprise: We Are Moving Back To Covington, GA

To our friends, partners, and community,

I want to take a moment and share something personal with you, something that marks a new chapter for my family and everything we’re building.

Over a year ago, when we left Covington, Georgia, we genuinely believed we would never return.

To be completely honest, it felt final. It felt like we were closing a chapter for good, like we were shaking the dust off our feet and moving on. There was pain, confusion, and many unanswered questions.

But time has a way of doing what emotion can’t.

Over this past year, we’ve had space to process… to heal… to reflect. Through that process, through quiet moments, conversations, and even the dreams and words others have shared with us, it’s become clear:

There’s still something for us in Covington.

Not the way we thought before.

Not the way we tried to build it the first time.

But something real… something unfinished… something worth returning to.

So I want to share this with you:

We are moving back to Covington, Georgia.

But we are not going back to plant a church or start a church.

We’re going back to build a life.

We’re going back to enjoy our home, raise our family, and live in a city we genuinely love. And from that place, we’re going to continue what we now know we were always called to do—travel, minister, write books, and build through media.

Many of you know that after the church fire, our online partners helped us invest in building a studio inside our home. That means what we’ve built here in Mobile and every dime given to that project, as it relates to Longpath Studios, gets to come with us.

We’re going back with clarity.

We’re going back to establish a rhythm of creating, teaching, traveling, and pouring into churches, pastors, leaders, authors, and builders in a way that is sustainable and aligned with who we really are.

And if I’m being honest with you…

Looking back on our first season in Covington, I can clearly see where I got it wrong.

I got the cart before the horse.

Before we ever moved there, the original vision was simple:

Do life with a handful of people until we become family.

Build something meaningful for pastors & leaders.

Build a foundation.

And then, maybe, something larger would grow out of that.

But I rushed it.

I moved too fast into starting a church. Then came the building. And once you step into that, everything speeds up: staff, structure, pressure, and expectations.

At the same time, we were dealing with losing our salary, the church fire, and trying to hold everything together.

And if I can just say it plainly, I found myself in survival mode.

When you’re in survival mode, you don’t always make your best decisions. You make fast ones. You make the necessary ones that time necessitates. But not always wisest ones.

And when everything fell apart, it was devastating.

Not just for me, but for people who were part of that journey.

That’s something I’ve had to sit with. Process. Own. And for that I apologize.

But I also believe this: Restoration is real.

Time can be redeemed.

What was broken can be healed.

And what didn’t work the first time can be rebuilt the right way.

This past year in Mobile has been one of the most important seasons of our lives.

I want to thank all the families we did life with here at the Homestead of Mobile for the love, encouragement, and honor you have shown us this past year. You made us feel surrounded by love.

I want to thank Jimmy and Tina Lovejoy. Without you all, I don’t know how we could have made it this past year. You all opened your hearts and home to us. Those beach trips, sandy-chair conversations, and back-porch grilling, watching our kids play together, healed our hearts in more ways than you will ever know. Thank you for being our friends.

I want to thank Matt & Paige Putman and the students at Union University for allowing me to participate as a weekly teacher. I was honored to teach, but more importantly, to get the opportunity to watch everyone grow and be transformed every single week. Your yes to Jesus has given me fresh glimpses of what it means to keep a onething lifestyle. Thank you!

I want to thank Bryn & Jenn Waddell for being our friends. It’s been family since day one. Very thankful that we got to spend a year in the same city, watching our kids grow. Your prayers, love, and generosity during this season will never be lost on us. Thank you.

I want to thank Bobby and Jessie Lemley and the countless FaceTime calls where you checked on us, and were a safe place for our hearts to process those highs and lows. For coming into town and always making time for us. You all are friends indeed. I look forward to being only four hours away from you again.

I want to thank my parents, Destani’s parents, and siblings for sending us love and financial support when we thought we were losing everything. Your love, generosity, and kindness carried us through many days. For that, I’m extremely thankful.

Lastly, I want to thank Apostle Damon and Tammy Thompson for allowing us to come and be a part of what God is doing here, for giving us a place to encounter the Presence of Jesus and hear the undiluted gospel, and for helping us when we didn’t know what else to do. You gave us a place to land and allowed Abba to do His work in us.

You created a place where we didn’t have to perform. A place where we could heal.

A place where we could rebuild internally while navigating the real ups and downs of business and life. We love you and thank you.

Because the truth is, it wasn’t just healing from the past. We were also building something new.

There were real highs and real lows in our business during this season. But through it all, something deeper was happening: Clarity.

If someone asked me what this past year really did for us, I would say it like this:

If we were a plane, it felt like God stripped the plane down… upgraded the interior… and gave us two brand new wings.

One wing is the ministry.

The other wing is business.

And now, for the first time, we have clarity on both.

We’re not confused about the assignment anymore.

We’re not trying to force something prematurely.

We’re not building from pressure or the fear of man; we’re building from alignment.

And that changes everything.

So now, we return to Covington, not with pressure or in survival mode, but with peace.

Not trying to prove anything.

Not trying to rebuild what was.

But ready to walk out what was originally intended.

With healed hearts.

Clear vision.

And a commitment to move at the right pace this time.

I also want to take a moment to thank our friends, partners, and those we have connected with online.

To every person who prayed for us.

To every partner who gave financially during one of the most uncertain seasons of our lives.

To every client who trusted us and walked with us inside Longpath Creator Academy.

You weren’t just supporting a business or a ministry.

You were helping us rebuild.

And we don’t take that lightly.

As we step into this next chapter, our focus is simple:

To serve people well.

To love the person in front of us.

And to follow every nudge and direction we sense—faithfully and consistently.

If you want to continue on this journey with us, there are two places we’re focusing our energy:

The relaunch of the Shepherd’s Tent online — from the weekly podcast, resources, and our new partner community, where we’re building something meaningful for those who want to go deeper and walk closely with us in this mission.

And Longpath Creator Academy — where we’re helping leaders, pastors, authors, and entrepreneurs take what’s inside of them and turn it into something that creates real impact and income in the world through online business.

This next chapter isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters, better.

We love you.

We’re grateful for you.

And we’re just getting started.

— Mark Casto

P.S. This season of transition, both ministry and business, we are starting over. If you feel led by Holy Spirit to support us as we get re-established, you can do so at https://markcasto.co/donate . A gift of any amount will be a huge blessing as we move, get settled, and continue the ministry and business work we’re called to do.