On February 20, 2020, Marla Mayberry became the Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, and is the first woman to lead the church since it was founded 61 years ago. Before becoming the pastor, she served as Co-Pastor of Antioch for seven years.  Pastor Marla was raised at Antioch Baptist Church, where her grandfather, Rev. C. L. Potter, founded the church, and her father, Rev. M.C. Potter, pastored for 40 years after the passing of Rev. C. L. Potter in 1980.  Pastor Marla served as the Young Adult Leader, Women’s Ministry, Church Auxiliary oversite, Wednesday night service leader, Pastor’s Board, Choir, and Youth Leader. 

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Pastor Marla also serves in secular roles in the community.  She is currently serving as Manager of the Parent Resource Center at Tulsa Public Schools.  The Parent Resource Center at Tulsa Public Schools is a new initiative, in collaboration with local foundations, to provide additional resources to parents and families so that students can achieve academic success in north Tulsa. Before working for Tulsa Public Schools, Pastor Marla held leadership positions as a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Vice-Chancellor, Executive Director, and Regional Director in the nonprofit and higher education sectors for 23 years in Oklahoma and Arkansas.   She has more than 20 years of progressively responsible experience leading nonprofit and higher education development teams. Pastor Marla has led these organizations through start-up, survival, turnaround, and growth modes. Her understanding of both distribution channels encompasses major fundraising, community advocacy and involvement, strategic planning, process improvement, financial management, leadership, and government.

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Pastor Marla’s leadership extends beyond the church and the workplace.  She serves as a Board of Trustee member of Phillips Theological Seminary, Links, Inc., and is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

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Pastor Marla is currently working on a Master of Arts Ministry and Culture at Phillips Theological Seminary.  She also holds a Masters of Human Relations degree with an emphasis in Organizational Development from the University of Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Langston University.

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Marla and her husband Lee are the parents of 5 daughters, two grandsons, and one granddaughter.