MEET THE MARSHALLS

John Marshall married Ruth Huey in 1971. Their two children, John II and Rebekah, have given John and Ruth seven wonderful grandchildren. Born in 1951, in Sikeston, Missouri, Dr. Marshall is a sixth-generation preacher who was called to the ministry at age 15.

He graduated from Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and earned a degree in Mathematics from Southeast Missouri State University. He graduated from New Orleans Baptist Seminary as the youngest man ever to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree from a Southern Baptist seminary (age 23).

While in seminary, Dr. Marshall and Ruth served Airport Baptist Church in Grenada, Mississippi. From there, they went to Gosnell Baptist Church near Blytheville, Arkansas, to serve three years. In 1978, the church was Arkansas’ fastest growing church. In 1979, the Marshalls moved to First Baptist of St. John, Missouri. For several years, this church was one of the fastest growing churches in St. Louis County.

In 1985, the Marshalls began serving at Garden Baptist in Bridgeton, Missouri. The Marshalls went to East Side Baptist in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in 1991. While they were there, East Side went to two Sunday Schools and two worship services to help accommodate their growth.

The Marshalls came to Second Baptist, Springfield, Missouri, in November 1995, and retired from there 22 years later. While Dr. Marshall was Pastor at Second, the church was annually the highest contributor in Missouri to the Cooperative Program, and one of the state leaders in baptism. The church began giving over a million dollars a year to missions, plus in the Marshalls’ last seven years at Second, the church gave $2.6 million to church planting, and started 51 churches.

In 2004, Dr. Marshall was awarded the distinguished Alumnus Award for his Alma Mater, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the largest seminaries in the world. That same year he had the privilege to preach the annual sermon for the Missouri Baptist Convention, his state’s largest denomination. In 2009 he was honored to preach the annual sermon at the Southern Baptist Convention, a denomination that has over 45,000 churches, and is the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.

After having served as Second Vice President and First Vice President of the Missouri Baptist Convention, Dr. Marshall became President in 2010. A month later, Second honored Ruth and him on their fifteenth anniversary at the church by giving them a mint condition 1962 robin egg blue Ford Falcon.

In 2011, Midwestern Baptist Seminary named Dr. Marshall their Honorary Alumnus of the Year. In 2019, he celebrated 52 years in the ministry, and 48 years in marriage. The Marshalls desire to continue ministering to churches, pastors, pastors’ wives, and layleaders in the years to come!