A Man With A Vision
A Conversation with
By K e rry Craig
Dr. James E. Martin,
t’s Sunday morning and not just any
Sunday morning—it’s Sunday Morning,
pastor o f Mt. Olivet
September 18, 1994 and on this morning
Dr. James E. Martin and his congregation at
Baptist Cha re li
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church are dedicating
their new building.
The parking lot is about full as I drive
in, but I find a spot for my old truck and
walk in the north entrance and pick up a bul
letin. As we re standing in the hall outside
the sanctuary, I discover from the bulletin
that Dr. Curtis Mitchel, pastor of Antioch
Progressive Baptist Church in Sacramento,
and a long-time friend of Dr. Martin's will
be delivering the message from God's word.
Some shuffling and murmuring tells us it is
»
time to move forward, down the hall, then
up some stairs and . . . there it is, the new
sanctuary. Silent, white-gloved ushers direct
us to seats as soft piano music plays. And
then the choir begins to sing and we begin to
sing, and I think to myself. This is it!
Another step in God’s plan to fulfill the
vision for a lot of Christian brothers and sis
ters; another example of God’s faithfulness.
About four weeks before this day, I had
the privilege of speaking with Dr. Martin at
his office on the original church property for
Mt. Olivet. We spoke of his life and his
accepted Christ as his Savior at age 12. But
vision for the church. We spoke of a topic
from then on, he says, he backslid.
that we both love: our Lord and Savior,
“Everything I put my hand on would
Jesus Christ.
work for awhile and then it would just dis
Our conversation started with Dr.
integrate because the Lord would not let me
Martin's youth; that starlit time when we all
be comfortable,” says Dr. Martin. "Now, I
have ideas of what we want to be or where
did not know that then, but I know it now.
we want to go . . . right? Like most of us. Dr.
Mother would tell me, ‘You know, you’re
Martin thought he knew where he was head
never going to be satisfied out there living
ed with life—thought he knew what was
that life until you come back to the Lord.
best. He worked hard at achieving those
You’re a Prodigal Son. You’re never going
goals, but as you will see, Gixl has plans and
to be happy out there. Can't you see you’re
directions that become impossible to avoid.
in the far country? Can’t you see you're
He knows just where and how to influence
feeding pigs?’ I just wasn’t happy,” Dr.
our lives.
Martin recounts.
If you look at a map of the USA some
Looking back at his spiritual life. Dr.
time and find Virginia and West Virginia,
Martin remembers the tone of his home.
take a minute to lixik down in the northwest
"My mother, I think, was the greatest influ
area of Virginia and the southwest comer of
ence in my life. My dad was not home much
West Virginia. You will see two cities called
of the time."
Bluefield. Dr. Martin was bom in one
Dr. Martin’s father worked on the rail
(Virginia) and raised in the other Ithat leaves
road, a job that would take him from
West Virginia). He went through school and
Bluefield to the little town of Welch where
vocational school there, and eventually
he worked each week. Weekends saw the
joined the police force in Bluefield, West
return of his father to Bluefield.
Virginia, working his way up to the rank of
Remembering those days. Dr. Martin
sergeant.
says, “He supported his family. He loved me
It was in Bluefield that Dr. Martin
and he loved my mother, but he drank
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although he never did it at home. He never
was violent, never hurt anyone, fie was a
gorxl man, but he was unsaved.”
Retirement from the railroad brought
the senior Martin home for good, and into a
new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit, answer
ing the earnest prayers of his faithful wife
and other friends, moved Dr. Martin’s father
to accept Jesus Chris,—a joyous occasion
for Dr. Martin's mother and, as it would turn
out. another notch up on the old conviction
meter for Dr. Martin.
"Man, I tell you, that was really a day!
Now, I was the only unsaved family mem
ber,” he says. "So, when I'd come in from
my band (I used to play drums in a band),
I'd come in at three, four, five o ’clock in the
morning and Mother would come in and
check on me and say ‘Thank God.’ She
would always be praying for me. She'd
make me mad praying for me. I'd say,
‘Mother, would you quit?!’ I knew the hand
of the Lord was on me. I knew. I was angry
because Mother prayed for me all the time
and then Daddy started praying for me! I
had two of them praying for me and I was
uncomfortable.”
The success of life did not wash away