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I was born on August 8, 1980 and was raised by my parents, Harry and Deborah Martin, on a farm in Kite, Georgia. I grew up among the Progressive Primitive Baptist. Being convinced that I was a sinner with a hope in Jesus Christ as a Saviour, I joined Sardis Primitive Baptist Church in Kite, GA at the age of 7.
It was during my years growing up in the country and attending church there that I began to love and appreciate the message of God’s grace. On July 27th, 2002, I married the former Allison Renee Blount. Following our wedding, we took up residence in Atlanta, Georgia. Allison attended pharmacy school at Mercer University and I attended engineering school at Georgia Tech. For the first year and a half, we attended several denominational churches in the Atlanta area. Because my wife did not share the belief in the Primitive Baptist doctrines of grace, I was willing to accompany her to different churches. Although all of the places we attended were very kind and generous to us, none of them felt like home. In the later months of 2003 and the early months of 2004, I felt like the Lord was impressing upon me to take more of a leadership role in my home regarding our faith. After minimal research, I found out that there was a Primitive Baptist Church less than five miles from where we lived. I was blessed the 2nd Sunday in February, 2004 to attend Bethany Primitive Baptist Church. Even though I was blessed from a young age to hear the truth concerning God’s free grace, it was at Bethany, that for the first time, I felt to be worshipping in both practice and doctrine according to the will of God. My wife, having been converted to the truth, and I joined Bethany Primitive Baptist Church and were baptized the fourth Sunday in October, 2004. We were baptized by the pastor at Bethany, Elder Lonnie Mozingo Jr. The Lord’s people there treated us like family (Mark 10:29-30) and we were blessed to be partakers of the abundant life of walking with our Lord (John 10:10 and 20:31).
Having felt a burden to try to speak, I made my first effort to stand before the Lord’s people at a 1st Sunday afternoon service in May, 2006. I introduced the service by taking about 5 minutes before Brother Lonnie preached. I continued in the capacity of introducing services for a little more than a year. Occasionally, Brother Lonnie would have me take all of the time for the Sunday afternoon services, but most of the time I only introduced services. In July, 2007, Bethany liberated me to go to preach at sister primitive baptist churches. 2nd Sunday in October, 2007, I filled a Sunday morning appointment at Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church in Cartersville, GA. After filling several appointments there, in January, 2008, Macedonia called me to be their pastor and I accepted their call. I was ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry on February 9th, 2008 at Bethany Primitive Baptist Church. I am still the pastor of the dear saints at Macedonia. The Lord has blessed me to be a part of many baptisms, weddings and Spiritual worship services while serving here. The Lord has also blessed us to build a new sanctuary in White, GA so as to provide a bethel spot for many generations after us. The Lord has been good to us here and we are thankful to be here. The Lord has blessed my wife and I with four children, Billy (2-15-06), John-Nathan (10-11-07), Lyla (9-17-09) and Samuel (12-12-12). My wife and I enjoy nothing more than taking our family to the Lord’s house. Worship with the dear saints of the Lord is precious to us. I pray we never take it for granted and that our children grow up loving fellowship with the Lord and with His people. When my wife and I joined the Primitive Baptists, there were no other immediate family members who were members of the church. However, the Lord has blessed my Sister and her family (Mt. Paran PBC in Social Circle, GA) as well as my Mama and Daddy (Old Cannoochee PBC in Swainsboro, GA) to be added to the church. Three of our children, Billy, John-Nathan and Lyla have joined the church at Macedonia as well. It’s a great joy to share in Spiritual times with our family. I am thankful to be counted among the Lord’s people in the Church. I wasn’t blessed to be among the Lord’s church when I was born. But if the Lord will bless me to do so, I hope to die being among the Lord’s church. |
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