Rev Albert M Martin

Introduction

I received Christ as Saviour on the Thursday 4th April 1968 @2150hrs as a result of a 10day outreach being conducted by a local Baptist Church in Tunbridge Wells Kent England. I appear to have been the only convert during that time of outreach.

I continued to attend the Baptist Church for approximately 6months when I was introduced to the local

Assemblies of God fellowship of God’s people in Tunbridge Wells. The fellowship was very small with approximately

12 elderly ladies and 1 elderly man, I being the only young person. I’m guessing it was not the best “personality and cultural mix” for a new follower of Christ. Colin Blackman had taken the Pastorate about 6months prior. On attendance however and from the very first meeting I was so aware of God’s presence that to coin a phrase “I was hooked in my commitment to Christ” and my desire to follow Him strengthened.

I soon felt the call of God in my life for ministry and during the 2yrs between my enrolment at Bible College I served Him in various ways – Preaching, Street Evangelism, Teaching Young Peoples Groups, Leading Meetings etc. I also spent 2wks in evangelism ministry in Dusseldorf Germany just before going to Bible College.

God initially called me into the work of evangelism and I attended Bible College with that emphasis clearly in my spirit. During my Bible College period of I was frequently sent to various fellowships in the UK to minister God’s Word at differing Church Fellowships. My intention, and this had been organized, was to travel with my closest

friend and fellow student Rev Baudouin Galanty – He was a student from Belgium and of Ukrainian background. It

had been arranged that we would be travelling in the USA with an Evangelist by the name of Rolf Burgundy.

It transpired however in the last 3/4wks prior to my graduation that God had other plans and I on behalf of the Assemblies of God Pioneer Church Ministry Division was requested to go to Hyton in Liverpool to Pastor a newly crusade founded Church.

I some 6mths later went to Tonbridge Kent to take over a AOG Church as its Pastor and was there for 5yrs. It had been a Church where in the period before I went to Bible College I had been involved in teaching the youth group. During my period in Tonbridge I was elected to become the AOG Regional Home Missions Chairman being responsible for developing and coordinating evangelism in the region.

From Tonbridge I went to Maidstone Kent where I was the Senior Leader / Pastor for approximately 13yrs. On resigning the Pastorate, I returned to my home Church in Tunbridge Wells where I headed up the Healing Team Ministry and served in any capacity that was needed. During 2000 I spent a short time in Orlando Florida with Cfan as the Church Relations coordinator.

To my significant surprise after 42yrs of serving Christ He has seen fit in these past 5/6yrs to call me into a “Teaching / Evangelistic” ministry in which I have travelled to and ministered in Churches and Bible Colleges in – Kenya, Burundi, Haiti, Thailand, Italy, Belgium and various areas in the UK. I am presently booked to go to Italy in August 2016 and Argentina in November 2016.

My Heart and Passion

My heart has always been and continues to be one of the Evangelist, this was the initial “Branding on my spirit” that God gave in 1969 and this passion for the lost continues unabated to this day. However, because my ministry has overlapped into Pastoral work a heart for God’s people has always been very mixed into my life’s ministry outworking. Surprisingly much of my ministry now is a mixture of “Evangelism, Pastoral Outreach and Teaching.” I have a strong passion to see the Church (His Bride) beautified and strengthened and ignited in its endeavour to reach the lost and this is probably the “central thread” now of how my ministry is outworked in practical terms.

I have seen many hundreds, perhaps going into the thousands won for Christ with many examples of God’s grace at work in healing bodies plus many who have responded to an increased devotion and consecration to their discipleship.

My Vision – (Burundi)

During my time in Kenya teaching at the Assemblies of God Bible College and during the 2nd period their I met a student by the name of Sylvester Kabura. I with others assisted him financially to finish his 3rd Year of studies and to obtain his BA. He went on his graduation to Burundi where he established over seven Churches and other activities. He is connected to and a Pastor with the AOG in Burundi.

I went to Burundi to spend a week to teach in a minister’s conference. There were about 120 ministers from various parts of Burundi and I taught for a week (2 Sessions per day) on the topic of “The Pastors Heart” the foundation being “David was a man after God’s Heart.” During that period, I also ministered in the local Church and held a small evangelistic crusade.

It was whilst I was there that I felt God had placed in my spirit a vision to open a Bible College in the centre of Gitega Burundi. There was and is a plot of land available next to a new Church that is being built and which would be an excellent place for the College.

However, “Towers need careful planning” and I felt that the Bible College should start small and grow as funds became available and as a result it has been concluded that 10/12 Students should comprise the 1st Years session. The small starting point is due to the fact that funds are very limited.

The plot of land to build upon has been offered at approximately £20,000’s ($26,000) and then of course there would be the building costs and all the associated items connected to that.

A budget spreadsheet has been raised however in regard to starting from the “small starting point”

previously mentioned.

It would be our intention to engage with students from various parts of the surrounding African Nations but with an emphasis on Burundi. We are making connections with the Global University in the United States in order that the 1yr Diploma Course can be “Fully Accredited” and form part of the on-going educational sections towards a full BA.