Marcus Neely is blessed to be a part of the church at Downtown. Having grown up in Memphis, Marcus attended Harding University and graduated in 2000 with a B.A. in Theatre and Vocational Ministry with a minor in TV & Radio. While a student, Marcus met his wonderful wife Stacey, a singer, voice teacher, and choir director. They married in 2000, lived in Searcy for a year, then moved to Texas. He and his family returned to Searcy in 2013 after spending twelve years with another wonderful church family having served almost nine of those years as their youth minister.

Marcus has also been working as a professional actor for over 12 years. He has performed in live venues and been invloved in independent film, music video, and national television shows. Marcus has a passion for the use of story in live performance and film for powerful communication. He has an increasing portfolio of written and produced work and has been featured at Winterfest, Uplift, Soul Link and other events and church retreats. Marcus is fascinated by the power of story not only to entertain but also to inform, challenge, and inspire as it speaks to both the heart and the mind. He loves the narrative nature of much of scripture and Jesus' use of parables.

Marcus is a big believer in CORE Groups and is thrilled to partner with our team of volunteers in working with the youth and their families at Downtown.