Rev. Elder Ken Martin
Regional Elder, Region 1
Rev. Elder Ken Martin, Regional Elder, Region
1
I have always believed that I came into this world
knowing why I am here. My parents and grandparents loved telling
everyone that at age three I announced I was going to be a preacher, at
four I was preaching to the chickens as I fed them and at five I was
taking the ones I thought were saved to the rain barrel at the corner of
the house and baptizing them.
Growing up in a conservative, evangelical Southern
Baptist culture in rural Mississippi in the 1950’s, the
realization at puberty that I was attracted to other males was
devastating. The two most profound experiential realities of my
life—that I was meant to be a minister and that I was
homosexual—felt irreconcilable. By the time I went to college to
prepare for professional ministry, I was a house divided. At times I
loved my spirituality and despised my sexuality. At other times I
embraced my sexuality and resented my spirituality. I was licensed to
preach by the Southern Baptist Convention at age 18 and pastured a small
mission church during my freshman year of college. After my sophomore
year I married a wonderful woman, hoping my orientation would change or
that I could successfully hide it.
After college and two years in the military, my wife,
young son and I moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where I entered Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall of 1970. While in seminary I
was Assistant to the Pastor of St. Mark’s United Church of Christ
in New Albany, Indiana. In 1972, the UCC ordained William Johnson as the
first openly gay person ordained by a mainline church in modern history.
The publicity and discussion around that event deepened my own personal
crisis, which had been slowly escalating for years. I reached the
conclusion that I could not preach the truth and live a lie. I became
deeply depressed and suicidal. It was then, through the only single
event in my life that I cannot explain except as a literal miracle, I
found a copy of The Lord is My Shepherd and He Knows I’m Gay by
Reverend Troy Perry. Shortly thereafter I drove to Chicago and found
Good Shepherd Parish MCC. I was 30 years old and for the first time,
during that worship service, the warring realities that were my life
were at peace. My sexuality and my spirituality were reconciled for the
first time and I knew where and how I would spend the rest of my
life.
After returning home and coming out to everyone I knew,
and with a divorce in process, I arrived in Chicago in the spring of
1974 broken, lost and feeling totally alone in the world. Good Shepherd
Parish gathered me in, loved me and helped me to heal. In November of
that same year I was elected the church’s pastor. After my
installation service I was shaking hands and looked up into deep blue
eyes I had been distracted by for several weeks. I remember going home
that night and praying, “God, if this is not your will you had
better stop me now because I am making plans!” I have been
looking into those same eyes now for 32 years. Tom Cole has been my
partner, lover, friend and biggest supporter.
From Chicago our journey led us to Los Angeles where I
served as pastor of MCC in the Valley, North Hollywood 1982-1989. After
working as an HIV Educator and Counselor for the HIV Healthcare Center
in West Hollywood, we moved to Austin, Texas in 1993. I served as pastor
of MCC Austin 1993-2006. I began as Elder for MCC Region 1 on January1,
2007.
Over half of my life has been spent in MCC. I can
imagine many different directions it might have take, but none more
challenging or rewarding.
Reverend Elder Ken Martin
Metropolitan Community Church - Region 1
revkenmartin@MCCchurch.net
512-786-5973
top
| region 1, elder, ken martin, kenneth, martin |
|
