MMBB News & Notes: Spotlight on Rev. Joy Martinez-Marshall

Confronting gender biases and defying societal
expectations, Rev. Joy Martinez-Marshall persevered
in her journey to fulfill her divine calling, despite being
told that church leadership was not a place for women.

Growing up, Pastor Joy experienced “a lot of different
churches and church drama.” Drawn by her faith and
a desire to learn more, she attended a youth camp in
high school. “I’m an indoor person; I thought this would
be a good idea,” she explained. “It was a horrible
experience. I was very popular at school, but at camp
I felt left out and awkward.”

“Yet every night my camp leader encouraged me to
follow my calling,” she emphasized. “I felt God wanted
me. I came home and announced I wanted to be a pastor.”

Soon after, Rev. Martinez-Marshall and her brothers
began a Thursday night Bible study. Her role was to
pick out the scriptures to be studied each week.

When she was 17, she told her youth pastor she was
being called by God to be a missionary. “That’s nice,
but we don’t let women lead in that way,” he responded.
Rev. Martinez-Marshall felt rejected as she had no doubt
God was calling her.

She witnessed God “in a big way” when she spent a
summer in Guatemala as a missionary. “After being
told by my home church that I couldn’t be a missionary,
this trip was a big part of my faith journey,” Rev.
Martinez-Marshall profoundly stated. “I felt very
strongly this is my calling.”

She attended college at Baylor University in Waco,
Texas, where she got a B.A. in Religion while
deconstructing her faith completely. The process helped
her heal and saved her faith. Following graduation, Rev.
Martinez-Marshall attended George W. Truett
Theological Seminary in Waco where she earned a M.
Div.

Her husband, Austin, was raised in a Christian
denomination where it was normal for women to preach
and they supported Rev. Martinez-Marshall’s ambitions
to be a pastor. In seminary she started applying for
associate pastor roles throughout the South to stay
near her Texas based family. But she was consistently
met with resistance due to her gender. Frustrated, she
went to the seminary’s Office of Ministry Connection,
hoping they could help her find the post she longed for.
The office connected her with Rev. Greg Mamula. He
believed she would be a good fit for First Baptist Church
in Lincoln, Nebraska. After a rigorous interview process
Rev. Joy became the first female to be named Senior
Pastor at the church.

In addition to her regular duties as pastor of First
Baptist Church Lincoln, she also served temporarily
in the role of Associate Executive Minister to Ministry
Development for the Nebraska Region of ABCUSA (ABC
NE) and was Associate Region Minister for ABC NE.
She assisted regional and camp staff in developing new
ministries like the Colossians 3 Communities, which
helps pastors to connect with each other and engage
in candid discussions about the struggles and triumphs
of ministry in a supportive environment.

Rev. Martinez-Marshall is most proud of her sibling
congregations and their shared ministries. First Baptist
Church Lincoln shares 1340 K Street with two other
ABC NE congregations, Lincoln Karen Baptist Church
and Livingstone Christian Church.

“I have a very special relationship with Rev. Marlesh
Charles Mbory of Livingstone,” shared Rev.

Martinez-Marshall, who added she has served as a
mentor to people going through seminary and enjoys
supporting other pastors in their journey. 

The three congregations have a shared ministry called,
“K Street Lunch.” They distribute free lunches on
Saturdays to members of the community. Anyone can
stop by the church and get a free sack lunch. While Rev.
Joy orders the supplies needed, a local retirement
community makes the lunches, and another local
business donates bottled water. “The program has been
much needed due to COVID and now due to cuts in
federal programs,” she explained. “People are grateful
we are here.”

Rev. Joy served as vice president of the Faith Coalition
of Lancaster County, Nebraska and on the Board of
Directors of Baptist Women in Ministry.
She left Lincoln on June 1 to go to First Baptist Church,
Ottawa, Kansas where she has been called as the new
pastor.

“I appreciate Nebraska and really like both Lincoln and
Omaha,” explained Rev. Martinez-Marshall. “Ottawa
is right outside of Kansas City. It’s closer to my family
in Texas and has the convenience of Texas type stores
like Buc-ee’s gas station and Urban Value Corner Store,
(a popular convenience store chain). It will be a good
fit. Both my husband and I are excited.

“I have now lived in three different places I have said I
would never live: Waco, Texas, Nebraska and Kansas.”
Rev. Martinez-Marshall laughed. “It’s a wild ride. God
is laughing. You will have to eat crow, but it will be
worth it.”

“I haven’t been in a smaller community, and I am looking
forward to getting to know everyone at First Baptist
Ottawa,” she shared. “I want to continue to build the
existing relationship with Ottawa University and get
to know the students, so they can be heard and
encouraged. It is important for me to give back and
support young people.”

Even though Nebraska is no longer her home, those
who attended the 2025 ABCUSA Biennial Summit
Mission got to see Rev. Joy one last time in the state.
She not only helped plan the event but was a co-chair
for the local arrangements committee and helped put
childcare and student programs in place as well as
coordinating volunteers.

This is not the first Biennial Summit in which she has
played a role. Rev. Martinez-Marshall was a speaker at
the 2023 ABCUSA Biennial Summit Mission in Puerto
Rico. “It was a full circle moment to be able to speak
and do the work of the Holy Spirit in the story of God’s
reversal,” she proudly proclaimed. “I never wanted to
be a preacher and here I was preaching to the entire
denomination. It was a defining moment for me.”