Mark Pearce was born in Mackay, Queensland and grew up in the farming context. He graduated from Avondale College with a BA (PUC) in 1984 and worked as a church pastor, first in the Northern Australian Conference (10 years), and then in the South Queensland Conference (24 years). He completed an MA Religion (Andrews University) in 1993, and then a BA Honours at the University of Queensland in 2007. He completed his Postgraduate Certificate in Ellen White and the Adventist Studies in February 2024. He worked at Pacific Adventist University as the inaugural Director of the Pacific Adventist Research Centre and taught in the Theology faculty for 18 months prior to commencing his current role as Director of the Ellen G. White/SDA Research Centre at Avondale University in July 2020, which also includes teaching for the Seminary.

His PhD is titled "How did the 1982 International Prophetic Guidance Workshop impact the Adventist understanding of the tension between Ellen White's inspiration and authority?" Co-founder Ellen White's role and authority was under the microscope at this time, partly due to discoveries about how she did her work. They were contrary to what Adventists generally understood. There were also questions about her authority due to theological crises that impacted the church. How did this workshop assist in this dynamic situation?