the Marshalls: 2003–Present
Joe and Melissa Marshall serve at New Beginnings Baptist Church with their four children—Breanna (she currently teaches first grade at Bill Rice Ranch Academy), Josiah, Kaitlyn, and Thomas. Joe and Melissa met while attending Crown College in Powell, Tennessee, and were later married in 1998. After graduating in 1999, they joined Baptist International Missions, Inc., and went on full-time deputation in June 2000, following Joe’s completion of a master’s degree in ministry. (Joe also completed a doctorate in theology in 2006.)
After arriving in Australia in November 2003, Joe and Melissa served with Great Hope Baptist Church in Inala, Queensland, where they helped establish a youth ministry, young adult ministry, choir, and Bible institute. Joe and Melissa have always felt burdened to plant independent Bible-believing Baptist churches and train national leadership to do the same. In October 2004, they were able to plant the Gateway Baptist Church in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory of Australia.
During their eight years at Gateway, Joe and Melissa sponsored missionary Dan Delong and assisted in planting Coastline Baptist Church in Cairns, Queensland. They also helped start a Bible study in Katherine, Northern Territory, which later became Savannah Way Baptist Church.
In December 2013, they followed God’s leading to Brisbane where they ministered at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, assisting Pastor Nathan Lloyd. While at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, they partnered with the Avenell family to start New Beginnings Baptist Church. Since its launch in July 2014, New Beginnings has grown steadily and averaged close to 100 first-time visitors each year with about 80% of church members involved in weekly outreach that has placed gospel literature in close to 100,000 homes each year. God has allowed New Beginnings to reach the world from its doorstep, with over 20 nations represented within the church.
Since 2016, Team Australia has partnered with the Marshall family and New Beginnings Baptist Church in many ministry opportunities including preaching, teaching, special music, youth rallies, holiday kids clubs, homeschool activities, tract distribution, and special ministry projects. We appreciate their deep burden for the lost and their articulate vision and planning to ensure God’s people are equipped for effective ministry and service.
