Remembering Thomas Luther Marberry (1949-2021)

There Is Always a Story

By Timothy W. Eaton

Everyone who knew Thomas Marberry had a story to tell about him. College students, seminarians, co-workers, ministers, and missionaries—all were somehow impacted by his life. So, how does a friend and colleague tell others about a hero like him? There is always a story.

In 1998, Thomas and I represented Randall University on a missions team to Cuba. The goals of the trip were to bring encouragement to Free Will Baptist churches on the island and to engage in Bible training at Cedars of Lebanon Seminary. On the last Sunday there, the team met with local Christians in Havana for a joint evening service. As the speaker for the evening, Thomas preached in Spanish and also interpreted for the English speakers.

Afterwards, the Cubans provided supper for the Americans. Marberry, however, was strangely absent. We eventually found him sitting in the courtyard of the home, sharing the gospel with a ten-year-old Cuban girl. The scene painted a vivid contrast: the soft-spoken little girl and big Thomas speaking in a tender tone. This took a conscious effort on his part, since his voice could only be described as thunderous.

The Spanish speakers listened intently, and the English speakers stood in awe as Marberry opened his Bible and guided the girl through a salvation prayer. When she bounced away into the loving circle of Cuban moms, the little girl had no idea Thomas Marberry was a leading theologian, Bible scholar, and educator among Free Will Baptists. He was simply the big, kind man who led her to Jesus. That encounter tells you much of what you need to know about Thomas Marberry.

Early Years

Fred and Ruby Marberry welcomed their first son, Thomas Luther, to Houston, Texas, May 3, 1949. Thomas lived his teen years in Bryan, Texas, where his father worked as the club pro at a municipal golf course. Thomas recalled hot Texas summers working for Fred on the course. His favorite job was filling the water-cooled soda machine at the clubhouse. Thomas got to pick his favorite soda from the icy water as a reward for his work. Fred and Ruby were faithful to raise their family in the church, and in 1966, Thomas accepted the Lord at Fellowship FWB Church in Bryan.

After graduating from high school, Marberry began studies at a Texas regional university before transferring to Oklahoma Bible College (now Randall University), where he answered the call to preach.

He later transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and earned a B.A. in 1971. He continued his studies, completing an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1973 and a Ph.D. with an emphasis in New Testament studies in 1982.

Although a theologian, Thomas loved music of all types. Until God led him to ministry, he planned to become a band director. At Baylor, he played tuba in the Baylor marching band, symphony, concert band, and wind ensemble. He was active in the Hillsdale brass ensemble, and his powerful tuba playing anchored the fight song, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” at Saints basketball home games. Oklahoma Bible College classmates recall a young Thomas playing the tuba while practicing marching band maneuvers on the open fields across the Moore campus. Thomas often quipped that while he was a student at Baylor, the football team only won three games, but the band never lost a half-time!

Teacher

Thomas served in various capacities during his ministry and teaching career, but his first love was always teaching. At Randall University, he served as a professor of New Testament from 1975–1983 and vice president for academic affairs from April 1983 to June 1989. In 1989, he returned to the classroom, where he continued to teach until June 1999, when he accepted the presidency of the Seminary of the Cross in Mexico. He returned to Randall in 2008 to serve once again as the vice president of academic affairs until 2013. Then, once again, Thomas returned to the classroom, where he continued until his death. On May 11, 2013, the Board of Trustees awarded Marberry the faculty rank of Distinguished Professor of New Testament, the first professor to receive this honor.

One of Marberry’s greatest gifts to colleagues and students was his sharp wit. In response to a common question from brave upper-level undergraduates, “Dr. Marberry, why do you talk to yourself?” Thomas retorted, “It’s the only way I can have an intelligent conversation.”

When a student struggled with Greek translation, Marberry would quip, “Well, you gave it the good ole college try; now, let’s see if we can smooth it out a little.” When a student got something right, he often said, “You hit the nail on the head, buddy!”

Following his death, these and other colloquialisms from the beloved professor poured in from former students. Oklahoma pastor Jeff Blair recalled these familiar Marberryisms:

"Before you preach a passage, be sure to read it out of at least five translations.”

"The Holy Spirit gets blamed for a lot of sermons He had nothing to do with.”

"Why do college graduates need to go to seminary? Tell me, what church that has anything to offer is going to call a 21-year-old fresh out of college to be their pastor?”

"When a young man comes to me and says the Lord has called him to ministry, I tell him, ‘I’m glad to hear that. Come see me in a year, and if you still think the Lord has called you, then we’ll do something about it.’”

At Marberry’s memorial service, Jim Harris, a former Randall ministerial student, described Marberry as brilliantly simple. “He had a knack for communicating the most complex theology in a manner I could understand. Sometimes the smartest answer he gave was to admit ‘we don’t know’ rather than speculating a response that would be on shaky ground at best. What mattered most to Dr. Marberry was that we made sure we stood on strong biblical grounds—whatever our conclusions.”

Harris went on to observe Marberry had a similar approach to ministry. He took it seriously but also kept it simple. He led, preached, responded to ministry needs, and encouraged others to follow his example of leading with an appropriate use of God’s Word.
Missionary

Though deeply committed to Randall University, in July 1999, Thomas accepted the position of president of the Seminary of the Cross in Reynosa, Mexico, just across the border from McAllen, Texas. He served there through July 2008. North American Ministries introduced Thomas and Wilma Marberry as new missionaries in 1999, and Dr. Marberry explained his decision to relocate: “We made our first mission trip to Mexico in 1989 with a group of students and faculty from Hillsdale. …On every subsequent visit, we have developed a deeper appreciation for the seminary, for our churches in Mexico, and for the Mexican people. …We believe that God is leading us to go to the seminary…to develop the best training institution possible for Spanish-speaking Free Will Baptists. [1]

Marberry’s unique connection with the Hispanic community was evident to anyone who knew him. Spanish-speaking ministers gathered with the Marberrys at National Conventions, invited him to teach or preach at their churches, and honored him at every opportunity. Though Marberry eventually transitioned back to Randall University, the seminary and Hispanic people and pastors remained on his heart.

Missionary Heart, Scholarly Mind

Thomas exhibited a heart for missions throughout his lifetime of ministry. He served as a sponsor for Student Mission Fellowship at Randall University and was instrumental in organizing and sponsoring trips to Mexico throughout the ’90s.

His educational and intellectual dedication intensified during his tenure as the president of the seminary in Mexico. During this time, Thomas reached the height of his intellectual and linguistic powers. A diligent student of Koine Greek since his days at Oklahoma Bible College, Marberry honed his skill through seminary and over decades of teaching ministerial students. His study and understanding of Spanish, however, did not occur until age 40 and was driven by love for Hispanic people.

While known widely as an educator, Thomas served Free Will Baptists in many capacities. He pastored churches in Oklahoma and Texas, concluding his pastoral work at First FWB Church in Oklahoma City. When the First Church called Marberry, it was offering Spanish and English ministries led by different pastors for each language group. Marberry’s language skills enabled him to strengthen common activities, enhance the unity of the church, extend service into the community, and provide effective ministry.

Thomas was a conscientious educational and ministry colleague. Often serving as clerk for campus committees, he had a knack for ending debates with: “This is not the law of the Medes and Persians.” Around university lunch tables, Bible and theology were common debate subjects among the faculty. When colleagues pressed Thomas for speculative interpretation, he simply replied: “It is not in the text.”

Marberry also held various positions in the denomination and served as convention reporter under Jack Williams for years, helping to publish the daily news for the annual convention. He authored articles for Contact and ONE Magazine, including a monthly theological column titled “Top Shelf.”

Yet, Marberry’s scholarship may have been his greatest gift to the denomination. He served on the Commission for Theological Integrity from 2018 to 2021, was a contributing author for The Inspiration and Preservation of God’s Word, and wrote the commentaries on Galatians, the Johannine Epistles, and Luke in the Randall House Bible Commentary series. In his theological work, Marberry offered a rare intellectual acumen and breadth of scholarship. For him, good exegesis was essential to good discipleship.

Life Well Lived

When Dr. Marberry announced his retirement from Randall’s full-time faculty in late 2020, he intended to move near Wilma’s family in Idaho. He quipped, “Wilma has followed me around all these years, and I am happy for her to have this opportunity to spend more time with her family.” [2]

Sadly, the Marberrys never had the opportunity. Thomas was hospitalized in late January with severe heart complications, and on February 5, 2021, he went to his eternal reward. But not before training at least three generations of ministers and missionaries. Those students have scattered across the world, as commanded by the Lord Jesus. Wes Holland, longtime missionary to China, reflected on the impact Dr. Marberry had on his life and countless others: “I believe Thomas and Wilma have many sons preaching the gospel, teaching the Scriptures, doing ministry, and serving as missionaries around the globe.”

There’s always a story and make no mistake: the story of Thomas Marberry was a great adventure in scholarship and faithfulness.

Adapted from Arminian Baptists, which traces the history of Arminian Baptists through the biographies of key historical figures. Order your copy from Randall House.

About the Author: Dr. Timothy Eaton, a Native American, serves as academic chancellor of Randall University. He previously served as president of the university from 2004-2019, after serving in various capacities at the university since 1989. Learn more: www.ru.edu.