This tribute first appeared on Reformation21.org and is republished with kind permission.
‘…be an example to the believers in word, and conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity’ (1 Timothy 4:12).
I first met Pastor Martin in 1995 at Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey, after he preached on a Sunday morning. That day left an indelible mark on both my heart and mind. At the time, he had already been faithfully pastoring and preaching at Trinity for many years – a ministry he would continue for over 40 years before retiring.
In that season of my life, I was coming out of a broader evangelical background and had never encountered a ministry that was Reformed, confessional, expository, and experiential. Pastor Martin’s ministry was unlike anything I had ever seen or known.
From that day forward, a friendship developed that would span decades. Pastor Martin became both a mentor and a friend, encouraging me through seminary and into pastoral ministry. I soon came to realise that this great pulpiteer – renowned for his powerful preaching – was not only a lion in the pulpit but also a lamb in the pew. Of the many lasting impressions Pastor Martin left on me, three stand out most clearly.
His person
One might expect that a man so towering in the pulpit – someone with a global ministry, who had preached hundreds of sermons, trained dozens of students through the Trinity Ministerial Academy, and spoken at conferences all over the world – would be unapproachable. One might also assume that a man praised by the distinguished professor John Murray, who called him ‘one of the ablest and most moving preachers I have ever heard’, would be inaccessible.
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