In Memory of Rev. Dr. Paul Martin
The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. is saddened to have to announce the passing of one of its staunchest supporters, the Rev. Dr. Paul Martin.
Dr. Martin, who was the first African American to be named president of the American Baptist Seminary of the West, passed into the arms of God in Denver, CO, on Wednesday, March 23rd.
In a 2013 videotaped interview with SDPC General Secretary, Dr. Iva Carruthers, Dr. Martin said he realized how important the work of the Proctor Conference is in preparing people for ministry and ministerial leadership. Educated at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, Dr. Martin was proud to let us know that his homiletics professor was none other than the late great Dr. Samuel Proctor himself.
He loved administration and at the time of his death, was working on his first book, Decency and Order: A Biblical Perspective of Church Administration.
Dr. Martin was present when SDPC held its first conference in Atlanta. In his 2013 interview with Dr. Carruthers, he said he was pleased to see the phenomenal growth SDPC had experienced over a 10-year period.
Dr. Martin will be missed for his love, his wisdom, his support and his indomitable spirit. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and want them to know that he was "one of us" in every sense of the word.
May he rest in peace, even as his spirit continues to bless those he has left behind.
The details of a memorial service have not yet been announced; however, American Baptist Seminary of the West will be celebrating the life of Dr. Martin at its chapel service on Monday evening, March 28th, at 6:00 p.m.
