The Reverend Dr. Eustacia Moffett Marshall is the founding pastor of New River Presbyterian Church in West Philadelphia. In July 2019, she relocated with her family from North Carolina to Philadelphia with a bold and sacred assignment: to lead the replanting of three historic congregations—First African, Good Shepherd, and Calvin Presbyterian Churches—into one a new church, New River Presbyterian Church. Notably, First African, founded in 1807, is the nation’s first Black Presbyterian congregation and one of Philadelphia’s first five Black churches. Dr. Marshall’s leadership stands at the intersection of legacy and innovation, stewarding a rich history while courageously reimagining the church’s future.

​

By God’s grace, New River was born during the global pandemic. After three years of organizing and worshiping via Zoom, the congregation launched its first hybrid (onsite and online) worship experience on Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023. Today, New River is a vibrant and growing faith community committed to loving God, loving people, and serving the world. Under Dr. Marshall’s leadership, the church is pursuing a bold vision for the flourishing of the East Parkside neighborhood—restoring its historic campus as a community hub and advancing affordable housing and a commercial corridor that foster education, health, and economic opportunity for local residents.

​

Dr. Marshall brings nearly two decades of pastoral ministry, having served congregations in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. A gifted preacher, writer, and musician, she has contributed to the African American Lectionary, and her sermons have been published in The African American Pulpit (Fall 2009) and These Sisters Can Say It (Volume 2). Before entering pastoral ministry, she served in full-time music ministry at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church and interned at Sony Music during her college summers—experiences that continue to shape her appreciation for worship, creativity, and excellence.

​

Deeply invested in how faith communities steward their spiritual and material resources, Dr. Marshall holds a real estate license in North Carolina and previously served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Presbyterian Foundation, one of the largest religious foundations in North America. She made history as the Foundation’s first Black woman chair and one of its youngest leaders in its more than 200-year history. She currently serves as a trustee at Princeton Theological Seminary.

​

Dr. Marshall earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Human Biology from Stanford University. She holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, where she received a record number of academic, ecclesiastical, and leadership awards, including the Presbyterian Leadership Award, Wailey’s Prize for New Testament, and the John T. Galloway Prize in Expository Preaching. As a Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) Fellow, she traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to study global worship and youth ministry. She also holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from North Carolina A&T State University through the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Adult Education and Leadership Studies program.

​

A native of Oakland, California, Dr. Marshall is married to the Reverend Touré Marshall. Together, they are the proud parents of Jeremiah and Jessica, who daily remind them of life’s beauty, joy, and sacred responsibility. Dr. Marshall seeks to use all of her gifts—faith, scholarship, leadership, and love—for the glory of God and the good of the world.