Marty was born and raised in Chicago, IL, as well as in the southern suburb of South Holland, IL. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Atmospheric Science from Purdue University (1980, West Lafayette, IN) and a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary (1987, Nyack, NY).

   Marty and his wife, Linda (who has a Master of Professional Studies degree from Alliance Theological Seminary), were married in 1985 in South Holland, IL. Since 1988 they have served Alliance churches in: Guthrie, MN; Zion, IL; and De Smet, SD, before coming to Echo, MN, in April, 2018. They have three grown sons: Joshua; David (married to Brigitte; they have five children); and Nathan (married to Julia; they have one child).