Joseph M & Melissa Marshall #1170

Testimony

Melissa grew up in the home of John and Betty Ridings. Her family served as missionaries with Baptist International Missions, Inc. in Peru, Connecticut, and in Mexico. In August of 2004, Melissa’s Mum went home to be with the Lord. Her father continues to faithfully serve as a missionary in Juarez, Mexico.

Melissa accepted Christ as her personal Saviour at an early age and was led to the Lord by her mother Betty Ridings. When she was a teenager, she surrendered to go to the mission field. During a mission’s conference, a missionary from Australia showed his slides, and Melissa felt God leading her to Australia. He later confirmed that call when she went on a mission’s trip to Australia. After visiting Crown, Melissa felt God leading her to prepare to serve on the mission field at Crown College.

Joe did not grow up in a Christian home. He was born to his mother just after she turned 16. His father was involved in the motor-cycle gang called "the Outlaws" as one of their hit-men. His mother and father were married while his father was in prison. During this time, his mother gave his father the choice of either his family or his gangs. Sadly, he chose the gangs. As a result of this choice, Joe did not get to know his father until he was 16.

One day, two men from New England Baptist Church of West Bridgewater, Massachusetts knocked on their door. It was during this visit that Joe’s mother came to know Christ as her Saviour. Both he and his mother began to ride the church bus to church. Joe was saved at the age of six at New England Baptist Church. He surrendered to missions while at summer camp. Joe heard about Crown through a high school friend who was planning on attending. During his second year of college, he felt God leading him to unreached people, and later, specifically to Australia.

Joe and Melissa met on the first day of college at Crown in 1996 through mutual friends. They became close friends through this group of friends. During this time, God led them together, and they were married in February 1998. During their time at Crown and Temple Baptist Church, they were able to be active in many of the ministries of Temple Baptist Church.

After Melissa graduated with her Bachelors in Elementary Education and Joe received his Masters of Ministry in 2000, they began full time deputation with Baptist International Mission’s, Inc., and were sent out of New England Baptist Church to the country of Australia. They spent from June of 2000 to October of 2003 on full time deputation. During this time, they had raised their required support and were granted a permanent resident visa to move to Australia. They arrived in Australia on November 1, 2003. Their first year in Australia, they worked with Great Hope Baptist Church in Inala, Queensland. During that time, they assisted with the youth ministry, young adult ministry, teaching religious education in public schools and establishing the Great Hope Baptist Institute.

In October of 2004, they relocated to Darwin, Northern Territory. Once there, they established the Gateway Baptist Church in Palmerston. At this time, Gateway Baptist Church was the only Independent Baptist church in a 1,000 to 1,500-mile radius. God blessed this church plant and in their first anniversary service they had 49 in attendance.

One of the most affective forms of evangelism was a booth at the local Palmerston markets. Each Friday night, they would make free balloon animals for children and give their family a Gospel invitation to church. This led to many great conversations about the Gospel, church, God, and the Bible. Through this ministry, 3 families began attending either Gateway Baptist Church or a Bible study that they helped to establish in Katherine in April of 2011.

Another ministry that God has allowed them to be involved in is helping to sponsor missionary families into Australia. As a part of this ministry, they were able to sponsor in Missionary Dan Delong and family and assisted with the starting and organizing of Coastline Baptist Church in Cairns, Queensland in 2007.

In April of 2011, they began to assist with Bible studies in Katherine. Katherine is 3 hours south of Darwin with a population of over 8,000 people. In March of 2012, the Bible study was organised into the Savannah Way Baptist Church in Katherine. In November of 2011, they sponsored in Missionary Patrick Bauer and family. In June of 2012, Gateway Baptist Church was turned over to Missionary Patrick Bauer, and the Marshall family returned to the U.S. for their first furlough.

During furlough, they had to raise an additional $1,500 a month in support due to the rising cost of living in Australia and the decreasing value of the U.S. Dollar. After spending 18 months on furlough, the Marshall family returned to Australia; however, God lead them to relocate to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At the invitation of Pastor Nathan Lloyd, the Marshall family based out of Good Shepherd Baptist Church of Albany Creek, Queensland. During this time, the Marshall family helped in the children’s ministry, holiday kids clubs, and university outreach ministries.

In March of 2014, Pastor Lloyd offered to send a team of about 30 people to assist the Marshall family in planting a new church in North Lakes, Queensland. After a time of preparations and canvassing the area with Gospel invitation to the first services of New Beginnings Baptist Church, the first services were held on the 24 of July 2014 with 41 in attendance.

After 18 months as an outreach ministry of Good Shepherd Baptist Church and building up a solid base of local people attending New Beginnings Baptist Church, the church was chartered and ordained its first deacon on January 24, 2016. Since the first services of New Beginnings, there have been over 100 first times visitors each year, a number of people saved, several completing discipleship, and almost 90% of the church is involved in a weekly ministry and outreach. There is also a strong emphasis on missions. As a result, the church already supports 5 Australian sent missionaries each month, has helped raise funds for the Papua New Guinea Bible Project, and recently took a mission’s trip to Vanuatu.

Please continue to pray for the Marshall family and New Beginnings Baptist Church as they seek to continue to reach the growing area of North Lakes with the Gospel and assist in reaching out to the rural areas of Australia. One of the greatest challenges to planting a church in the tenth fastest growing area in Australia is the cost of land for a permanent church home. Please pray that God would supply a permanent meeting place for the church.

Missionaries in Australia: