10 Christian ministry leaders, influencers who died in 2019

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Monday, December 30, 2019

Jane Marshall – May 29, 2019

Jane Marshall (1924-2019) has been a force in church music for decades, as composer, conductor and teacher. She debuted in a big way with the anthem 'My Eternal King.' — Jane Marshall (1924-2019) has been a force in church music for decades, as composer, conductor and teacher. She debuted in a big way with the anthem "My Eternal King." | Sam Hodges/United Methodist News

Jane Marshall, a prolific musical composer and longtime music teacher at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, died at age 94.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Marshall began composing music as a teenager and is credited with approximately 200 different songs and anthems.

Her most famous anthem, “My Eternal King,” has been performed in churches across the United States, including by the Crystal Cathedral Choir of the famed California-based megachurch.

“I rank her as the most sensitive and text-oriented hymn tune composer of the late 20th century,” said the Rev. Carlton Young, editor of The United Methodist Hymnal. “She was that good.”