When Marty showed up to volunteer––willing to do whatever was needed––little did she know that her journey with Portland Rescue Mission would span 15 years. She started as a fitness instructor, become the program manager at Shepherd’s Door and later a chaplain, where she’d daily share the gospel with women in need of hope.
“I love to work with people and help them get closer to God––ultimately to tell them the Good News and to see them come to faith in Christ,” said Marty.
She can’t tell you how many women she’s led to Christ. “Certainly since I’ve been chaplain, most every woman that’s come through Shepherd’s Door––that came in not knowing Christ––I probably led them to Christ.” She can’t help but talk about Him. “I always, always, always share the Gospel, no matter what.”
When a woman comes to speak to Marty, they will find safety, compassion and love.
She listens intently as women pour out their sorrows and stories.
“You have a God-sized problem, and I can’t do a thing about it,” she’ll often say.
“I can’t, but I know God can. I know Jesus can do it.”
“I could go to her with anything, she would pray with me…[She] just made me feel safe. And I always felt that anything, all things are possible through Him,” said Lori, a graduate from the program.
Marty served as Shepherd’s Door’s first chaplain. She remembers when Executive Director, Eric Bauer, was hired to help with the reconstruction of the ministries of Portland Rescue Mission.
At the time she was the program director for a very new Shepherd’s Door program.
“We were in this meeting and Eric said, ‘and Marty, you’re not a program director.’”
“One of my staff said, ‘She’s a wonderful director!’”
“No she’s not. No, she’s a clinician, she’s not a program director. She loves working with the women,” he said thinking out loud. “And she likes to talk to them about Jesus. She’s really a chaplain. We’ve never had a chaplain here, have we?…Yeah, that’s where you should be. You should be a chaplain,” he said.
“And of course, my heart just sang,” said Marty. “That’s what I love to do!”
“What Marty means to the women here ––she treats every one individually how God treats us––how Jesus looks at us individually and how he loves each part of us, that’s how Marty sees us,” said Colleen, another graduate from the program at Shepherd’s Door.
“Her direction, support and her love has really helped me to see what God wants me to see.”
At the end of March, Marty retired from her position at the Mission. She may be “retired” from her position, but Marty is ready and eager for the next assignment from the Lord. Her and her husband Bill have a huge passion for evangelism, outreach and global missions, and imagine they will continue in that work.
“I love Shepherd’s Door, I love the Mission. I will always bless the Mission, I will thank God for this Mission every day, I will financially support this Mission. My hope is that they never loose the reason to share the hope that they have for being here.”
“Marty has been a loving and wise chaplain to all who have served or been served at Shepherd’s Door,” said Eric Bauer, Executive Director. “Always caring, always encouraging, always embracing, always insightful, always expressing her passion for Jesus––always with a twinkle in her eyes––And with these beautiful traits, she has ushered countless hurting women through the Good Shepherd’s door of salvation.”
Thank you Marty for reminding us so faithfully of why we are here.
We love you.
If you’re interested in pursuing a full or part-time career at Portland Rescue Mission, take a look at some of our available positions at http://www.portland-rescue-mission.local/about/employment/