Rod Marshall, our VP of Pathways Professional Counseling, takes office today as President/CEO of the ministry. We would like to introduce you to him through our article featuring him in our recent LifePrints magazine.
Rod Marshall knew from his first interview that working for Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries (ABCH) wasn’t going to be a typical job.
But it wasn’t because of the work he’d be doing, it was because of the people. “My initial job interview was four hours long,” Marshall recalled. “I found in Louise Green (Vice President, Special Programs) a kindred spirit. She is somebody who loves people, and somebody who, even in that initial interview, seemed to care about me.”
His first day with the Children’s Homes was Jan. 1, 1995. That first holiday off was offset, however, by the busyness of the rest of his first week as he began understanding the ministry and setting up the ministry’s first counseling office and therapeutic playroom.
In the 17 years since, Marshall has guided the ministry’s counseling program, now known as Pathways Professional Counseling, through tremendous growth. It grew from Marshall working part-time in a shared office suite to 35 counseling sites statewide served by a staff of 14 counselors. Marshall’s title also changed, first to Director of Pathways, and then to Vice President of Counseling.
The focus of Pathways has also expanded from counseling children in the foster and residential care programs of ABCH to also serving children, families and individuals in the community. In 2010, Pathways served 2,954 children, families and individuals – more people than were helped by any other facet of the ABCH ministry.
That experience helped prepare him for this next role as President/CEO of ABCH, effective Feb. 1. Marshall said, “This has given me the opportunity to balance program growth with good stewardship and to practice good administrative skills and to hone
my leadership skills.” He also feels blessed to have served alongside the gifted Pathways staff. “I have really enjoyed being able to be an equipper and an encourager for them.”
And while Marshall did not seek out the office of President/CEO – he did not submit a resume to the search committee until they asked him for one – he decided to participate in the selection process as an act of obedient faith. “I needed to be willing to serve if that was what God was calling me to do,” Marshall said. “And the (search committee) felt like God was calling them to call me to be ABCH’s next leader.”
The committee let Marshall know they were nominating him via email, Tuesday morning, Oct. 17, 2011, a full seven months after asking for his resumé. “The process was very thorough, and it took a long time,” Marshall said. But throughout the process
he kept reminding himself, “If I’m not who God has called for this job, then I do not want it.”
Marshall was unanimously approved as President/CEO by the ministry’s board of trustees during its Nov. 11, 2011, meeting.
He said a “broad array of emotions” washed over him as the decision was announced – relief, excitement, anxiety and happiness.
Marshall said he was honored and humbled the committee selected him to lead the Children’s Homes through its next chapter. “I have never doubted that God has called me to be where I am, but I am only willing to be here if this is where God wants me to be,” he said.
Marshall is also thrilled to carry on a family tradition of serving Baptists. His paternal grandfather of 16 generations ago, Rev. Daniel Marshall, was the first Baptist pastor in Georgia. And Marshall’s great-great uncle Rev. Robert Duncan (R.D.) Hawkins served two terms as the superintendent of the Georgia Baptist Asylum for Orphaned Children from 1905-1908 and 1912-1914. Marshall received his bachelor of arts from Samford University, and he and his family attend Shades Crest Baptist Church, Birmingham.
“To have the opportunity to serve Alabama Baptists seems fitting,” Marshall said. “There are so many good things Alabama Baptists are involved in, and so many God-honoring things. I am honored to have the opportunity to be involved in one of them and to be a servant.”
He noted that it is an incredible privilege to be able to lead a ministry that is on such solid footing, and is doing much that is progressive and relevant. However, he sees the potential to do more than just staying the course. “We have the opportunity to build upon our 120 year heritage to move into the next chapter with creativity and confidence,” Marshall said. “I think tradition and heritage are very important, but we need to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit to try to do things we have never done before or to do things in new ways. Our history is great, but perhaps the best is yet to come.”
Alabama Child 