Mainstage | Wednesday | General Session

Marvin Campbell came to faith during his first year of high school after being shaken by the death of two friends. He met The Navigators in 1985 at the U.S. Naval Academy when a Navigator student invited Marvin to read the Bible. Upon graduation from the academy, Marvin served as a Surface Warfare and Engineering Duty Officer, serving more than 13 years on active duty with the U.S. Navy before leaving the military for full-time ministry.  Marvin completed his 20 years of military service in the reserves, retiring as a Commander.

Since beginning volunteer work with The Navigators in 1994 and joining full-time staff in 2002, Marvin has served in various leadership roles in our Military, Neighbors, Collegiate, the 20s, Workplace, and Cities ministries. Notably, he was the founding director of the Bowie State Training Center at Bowie State University, an initiative established in 2008 to recruit, develop, equip, and prepare African American Kingdom leaders for world impact. In addition to serving for more than 25 years as Discipleship/Outreach Pastor across four states, Marvin most recently served as senior vice president and U.S. Field director for The U.S. Navigators before becoming the U.S. president on November 1, 2021.

Marvin’s blended military and ministry experience gives him unique insights into leadership training and development, church discipleship, organizational change management, and team dynamics. For many years, Marvin and his wife, Pamala, have advanced the gospel in military installations, college campuses, local churches, and surrounding communities.

Marvin and Pamala have invested their lives in cultivating a multicultural network of believers from diverse backgrounds. They are committed to The Navigators’ motto, “To know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same®.” Throughout relational networks in urban and suburban settings, they have equipped communities to effectively live and proclaim the message of Christ to diverse people groups.

Marvin and Pamala’s children and grandchildren span from the east coast to the west coast. They enjoy hiking, kayaking, and pickleball.