Member of the Month 

October 2006

Carl Martin

by: Tom Whitener

Being an umpire or referee isn’t an easy job. Over the past 20 years, Carl Martin has had to make many tough decisions that could affect the outcome of a game. As head official of the Charleston Catholic Basketball League, he tries to give out the Gospel when he can with the participants on the court and their families in the stands. I think we’ve “made the right call” by selecting Carl as the October 2006 Member of the Month.  

Born and raised in the Kanawha Valley, Carl referred to himself as a “tall and skinny kid”. Carl currently works for Komax Business Systems in South Charleston and lives in Dunbar with Judy, his wife of 18 years. Carl says, “I can’t give her enough credit. Judy is the glue that keeps our family together.” The Martins have a 17 year old daughter, Kara, who is in her senior year of high school and soon faces a future of college plans.

In September 1999, Carl got devastating news that he had throat cancer. The most difficult time he had was telling his young daughter. After Carl told her, Kara took a walk with her grandmother when she found a penny “heads-up” along the way. The little girl returned home and went to show her dad the shiny coin. His story continues: Kara told me, “Look what I found. It’s a sign to let you know things are going to be all right.” With the cancer completely gone, Carl still goes through “routine maintenance” check-ups.

Carl received reassurance about his salvation from Pastor Barnhart shortly after his family arrived at our church in 2002. He is amazed with “the way that the members of Spring Hill Baptist Church reached out and made us feel welcome.”    

While many Scriptures inspire him, Carl specifically mentions Romans 8:28 & 29 as one of his favorites. Carl also enjoys the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” because he says it is “so convicting”.

Carl recently started his 2^nd year as an AWANA leader, assisting each Wednesday night with the TNT boys (3^rd – 6^th grade age group). He stressed the importance of providing a good, Godly influence for these kids “since many of them aren’t getting it at home or school.”

Following a Sunday School lesson that Al Morris taught in the Fellowship Class, Carl was so impressed that he bought the book Al used as his primary reference source - a book titled “Share Jesus Without Fear” by Bill Fay. The book has been a real blessing to him and Carl concludes, “One main point in the book is to share your faith with others. If they reject it, it is important to remember that they are not rejecting you, but they are rejecting Jesus Christ.” 

 

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