Joe was born August
26, 1937 in Jacksonville, Texas. Joe married Judy McElmurry August
29, 1959. They have three children, six grandchildren,
and five great-grandchildren.
Joe was
raised in the Methodist Church, later joined the Baptist Church, but
didn't realize his need for a Savior until he attended a tent revival
meeting in Houston, Texas. At nearly thirty years of age, Joe
received Christ as his Savior on August 3, 1967.
Answering God's call to preach one month later, he resigned his position at Johns Manville and entered New Orleans Seminary and attended one year. Joe left New Orleans to begin a ministry he called "Mainstream" in downtown Houston reaching the nightclub district of Houston, as well as holding revival meetings across the country. Having been a nightclub participant before the Lord Jesus Christ saved him, he had a desire to bring these folk to Christ that they too might be saved.
Joe remained in evangelism from 1968 to 1975 when he joined the staff at Calvary Hill Baptist Church, Mesquite, Texas, as staff evangelist and outreach director, overseeing the bus ministry and other soul winning ministries. During this two year period, the bus ministry went from 95 to 250 average. In 1977 he became the pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, St. Clair, Missouri. In 4 1/2 years the church baptized 600 people and grew from 200 members to 1200 members.
Joe pastored Calvary Baptist Church in Jennings, Missouri for two years, and baptized over 100 in the first year. He was vice president of the St. Louis Pastor's Conference and served on the St. Louis Association Evangelism Committee. During this period of time he received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Immanuel Bible College in Peachtree, Georgia at the recommendation of Hyman Appelman, an international evangelist who was Joe's friend and mentor in the faith.
From 1985-1997 Joe served as a full time evangelist and church planter. In 1997 he began serving as co-pastor of Lincolnwood Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois. From there he pastored First Baptist Church of Tucumcari, New Mexico until the fall of 2001 when he entered into full time evangelism once again.
Bro. Murray lives in Union, Mo., and is a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and is under the ministry of the Church and Pastor Thomas R. Smith. Mt. Zion sends Dr. Murray nationwide and to regions beyond holding revival meetings, Bible conferences, and Evangelistic campaigns. He has a passion for not only reaching the lost, but ministering to Pastors and churches with the message of satan's M.O. which he believes is satan's scheme to destroy churches and families. He has been greatly used to bring a message of unity to the local church, and to teach the church how to recognize that satan is their real enemy.
Joe is available year round in various meeting formats, i.e. revivals, evangelism, Spirit-filled life conference, soul winning training, Reformers Unanimous training, winter Bible study, city wide crusades, camp meetings, tent meetings, stewardship meetings, and deacon training.