Walter L Marshall Jr is the founder and Pastor of Greater Love Community Church in Hawkinsville, Georgia. He was born in Fort Valley. Georgia, better known to many as Peach County, home of the Trojans. His faithful and loving mother, Ms. Betty Marshall, raised him and his sibling, Sandra Marshall, and still resides in the Valley. His father, Walter L Marshall Sr from Marshallville, Georgia has gone on to be with the Lord.
After graduating from Peach County High School, Pastor Walter started preparing his body and mind for enlistment into the United States Army where he served faithfully and honorably. While being taught what it takes to succeed, even during war and uncertainty, God was faithful. Pastor Walter, unlike most modern day preachers and teachers, has not attended any theologian seminar schools or bible colleges. In fact, he is not ashamed to admit that for most of his young adult life, he was without God. He was living in the world, participating as those do today without Christ and no hope in their lives. But God. Through His mercy and grace, saw a better hope, future, and purpose for his life. After many hard lessons and God even sparing his life on a couple occasions, the Lord started to work on him.
In 1997, he met a young woman while on his lunch break. He admits that she was the first female ever to invite him to church. He took the offer and attended a service where he first heard the voice of the Lord coming from the man of God, Apostle Albert Phelps. The word and anointing was so powerful that he began to cry, went to the alter, and asked the Lord to save his soul. A year later, after committing his life to the ministry and getting involved in the work of the Lord serving others at the Lizella Pentecostal Holiness Church, his life began to change. Places he used to visit, he didn’t have a desire to go to anymore. Things he once was ashamed of, he didn’t have the desire to do anymore. His appetite for sin changed. He was baptized by the man of God and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. On December 5th that same year, he asked that young lady that invited him to church, Mallerina Robinson, to marry him and she accepted. Ever since then, they have been working together in ministry and raised two beautiful children, Deon and Jessica.
After serving faithfully in 2004, he answered the call of God upon his life and was ordained to preach gospel with the power and anointing of the Holy Ghost. He continued to minister and serve in Fort Valley (GA), Forsyth (GA), and Lizella Georgia. He also taught Adult Bible Study, preached the gospel, and conducted revivals for the community, helping feed, and support the communities and his church family.
After 25 years of service and commitment unto the Lizella Pentecostal Church Inc., God called him to go plant a ministry in Hawkinsville, Georgia. Although, he did not understand everything. He was obedient to the spirit. God led him to the location and told him to start working. He began to say unto himself “How Lord? I do not have the people or the resources.” God provided. After four months of working day and night, God showed him the way. He was able to complete it all with the help of the Lord. He invited the whole community, family, and friends to come celebrate. The ministry fed the hungry, gave hope to those in need, and invited people to church.
Our pastor wishes all who read these words be blessed and inspired to follow your heart and allow yourself to be loved and used by God.
Whosoever will, let them come!