On May 27th 1902, Peter Marshall was born in Coatbridge, in the county of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Marshall, while walking home one evening, heard a strong calling to the ministry. Notwithstanding, having no money, he migrated to New York in 1927 at the age of 24.

Peter worked hard and attended Columbia Theological Seminary, in Decatur Georgia graduating in 1931. Nearing the end of his studies, he took the pastorate in a small, rural church, the First Presbyterian of Covington, Georgia, remaining there from 1930 to 1933.

In 1933 after his brief stay in Covington, Marshall accepted the call to Atlanta's Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 1936 the seating capacity was enlarged to 700, so drawn were people to the ministry that God had placed upon young Dr. Marshall. While in Atlanta he met his future wife, Catherine Wood, who was a student at Agnes Scott College, they married in 1936. Marshall served in Atlanta through September of 1937.

Later in 1937, Marshall became pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Peter was honored to take the position, for the New York Avenue Church was a part of the History of the United States. The artisans that built the White House, along with their families formed a community of believers; they merged with another group of worshippers and formed the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.  A regular worshiper at NYAPC during the Civil War, was President Abraham Lincoln at his death, he was attended by then NYAPC Pastor, Phineas Gurley.

New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. The

original church was torn down in the 1950s and replaced with an

enlarged structure which slightly resembles the old one.

Mary Wood, personal Secretary to Dr. Peter Marshall, recounted that Dr. Marshall’s office was on the top floor of a two story addition which adjoined the old church.  A spiral staircase led down from his office to Mary's office below.  He drafted his sermons page by page, and when he would complete a page, his practice was to drop it down the staircase.  Secretary Wood then picked up each sheet and typed it, presenting to Dr. Marshall his finished sermon. The Reverend Dr. Peter Marshall preached many famous sermons during World War II from the pulpit of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.

On January 4, 1947 Dr. Marshall began his service as U. S. Senate Chaplain, he was appointed twice, attending that office for a little over two years. On January 26, 1949, his wife, his son, his congregation, the U. S. Senate and the entire nation was stunned by  his sudden death; leaving all of those afar and near to mourn the passing of a uniquely gifted man that had been called by God to preach to people's hearts about issues of the heart. Although he spoke with near perfect diction, and was adroit with the English language, nevertheless, he communicated in such a down-to-earth way that he caused the listener to feel he personally knew them, and their problems he empathized with, and understood.

At the age of 46 years, the Reverend Dr. Peter Marshall was buried at Ft. Lincoln Cemetery in Bladensburg, Maryland. He was survived by his wife and his son, Peter John Marshall.

Marshall's widow, Catherine, wrote her husband's biography, A Man Called Peter, in 1951; which later was made into an Oscar-nominated film of the same title, in1955. Catherine wrote more than 20 books, which included many editions of Dr. Marshall’s sermons, several inspirational books, and her best-selling novel Christy.

Marshall's son, the Rev. Peter Marshall, has followed in his father's footsteps, into the Presbyterian clergy and now runs a national ministry (Peter Marshall Ministries) from Orleans, Massachusetts. Since 1977, Peter has devoted himself to a continent-wide ministry of preaching, teaching and writing. He has authored many books on Christian living, and has co-authored three best-selling books about God's call on America and His hand on our history, those titles are: The Light and The Glory, From Sea to Shining Sea, and Sounding Forth the Trumpet.

The Reverend Dr. Peter Marshall was truly a man called for purpose by God, as prophet to the United States of America; to call her to repentance, to enliven the individual’s walk with Christ. Dr. Peter Marshall, a hero of the Faith, a leader for his time and a Church Trailblazer. For more information on Dr. Peter Marshall or to purchase his audio sermons visit www.petermarshallministries.com.