Meet Pastor Marty McGrail

Pastor Marty McGrail, native born of Highlands, NJ has committed his life to serving and helping every person, regardless, of their race, education, denomination, gender, background, age or economic status, to achieve their fullest potential.

Having founded Interdenominational World Ministries in 1996, Marty McGrail answered the call to ministry after realizing “religion” was doing more harm than good for his family, community and the world at large. People were turning their backs on church because of disappointments, rejection, confusion and piety.

He observed that many could no longer identify with or understand a “religion” that was centuries old with a message that was no longer relevant to their culture. He also recalled his father Marty Sr., (a Trustee in the church for years) telling him, “Don’t run from the church, do something to change it.” And so after soul searching, prayer, counsel and motivation, he answered the call and that is exactly what he headed out to do.

A Major Life Change

In 1986 at the age of thirty-seven (37) Marty McGrail, after sustaining a life altering injury, left his position as the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a very successful Medical Management Company and began working and studying under the leadership of a local pastor. He attended seminary and was led to Faith Fellowship World Outreach Center, Woodbridge, NJ, under the leadership of Pastor David T. and Diane Demola.

Marty began working with gangs, the homeless, the disenfranchised, the sick in local hospitals and the lowly located in New Jersey’s inner cities and in the states prison population. His vision was to bring people from poverty to prosperity, from bondage to freedom and from sickness to healthy living.

His devotion, prayers, studies and endless work was recognized in 1996 when Marty McGrail, was ordained to preach the “Good-News” of Jesus Christ throughout the world. And so the former CEO traded his Rolls Royce and lavish lifestyle for a Bible, pulpit and a vision.

In the Mission Field

His journey continued and took him to the mountains and forests of the Philippines ministering to the poorest of the poor. He remembered while serving in the United States Navy as a young man that one day he would return to the beautiful but impoverished land, he just never knew it would be as a preacher with a life changing message. It was there that he founded “The Church in The Forest”, an orphanage which he named, “The Manger”, a prison ministry, school and a clinic.

From the Philippines, Pastor Marty was off to Mexico to minister to the needs of the Mayan Indians. Upon his return to the United States the missionary pastor was invited to Chaplain at Esmore Federal Detention Center, located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It was there that he advocated and had many innocent detainees freed and returned to their home countries and helped many more establish a new life right here in America through jobs, education and family reunification.

At the expense of almost losing his life, Reverend Marty McGrail, known as “The Hoodlum Priest” had corrupt prison officials indicted and ultimately the institution was closed.

Later, Reverend Marty McGrail would go on to minister as a Chaplain at East Jersey (Rahway) State Prison and be used to change the direction of many of the inmates’ lives. It was an inmate’s plea for the pastor to visit with his son in Long Branch, New Jersey, that brought him to the Federal Housing Authority.

A New Direction, An Old Facility

But what Pastor McGrail didn’t know was that God had yet a further plan for his life, a new direction in which he would have to go. The Director of the Drug Elimination Program, Reverend David Harrington would invite him to the Directorship of Pastoral Care, working with Monmouth County Probation and a community plagued with challenges from gang violence, drug addiction and poverty. Reverend McGrail served seven (7) years as Pastoral Director and built a youth ministry with over ninety (90) children in an after school program of which many today have gone on to collage, sports careers and successful businesses and parenthood.

Needing a larger facility, Reverend McGrail took his life savings, sold whatever property he had left and purchased an eight-six (86) year old church building which had been closed in Highlands, NJ. He named it New Life Christian Church and World Outreach Center. With the help from some very generous friends and those who believed in his vision the Pastor began the work of rebuilding and restoring the facility to become the beacon of hope that it is today for so many.

Putting Welfare to Work: Medical Billing

Once the building was purchased and the restoration began, the Pastor saw the need for ongoing funding to continue his work, plus the need in the community to help those on public assistance. Relying on his past and God's leading, this pastor moved in a vision of creating a “Welfare to Work” program. Training his then “house-keeper” to do data entry, medical coding and billing. The pastor recruited “welfare recipients” from the street and began training them and preparing them for a better quality of life and at the same time exposing them to a “Christian” way of life.

Not long after, several medical professionals heard about the pastors program and began to support it by providing this “Community Development Corporation” with work. Another facet of the ministry was off and running.

Whatever funds raised were used for continued construction, purchasing food for the needy, providing salaries, addiction alternatives, family counseling and social services to those in need from within the community. Pastor was making a difference just as his father had asked him to do so many years before.

Continued Growth

Today, his ministry, New Life Christian Church and World Outreach Center, continues to grow as he focuses like never before on meeting the needs of his community and providing ministries and services that impact every area of life. While the commitment to the local community is strong, New Life’s global commitment is also increasing as the ministry reaches through modern technology beyond its walls to meet the challenges of a new generation with a message of hope, motivation and encouragement all derived with a balance from the Word of God.

Pastor Marty McGrail has been used by God to prove time and time again, “With God – ALL things are possible!”

Currently, over 500,000 homes in Monmouth and Ocean Counties receive Pastor McGrails message of hope and inspiration through the Word of God via Comcast cable television, Channel 97 every Wednesday night at 8:30 PM and the territory continues to grow each week. Pastor McGrail also publishes an International Inspirational called TODAY which you can receive for free online at www.cometonewlife.com.

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