MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MRS. MARILYN MARTIN


Following Mrs. Martin’s death on September 20, plans were finalized to hold her memorial service on Saturday, October 2. This deferred date was selected to give time for international travel and also in the hope that members of the medical community would be able to attend a weekend service. On Friday evening, October 1, Pastor Martin and his three children, Joel, Heidi, and Beth, stood by the casket of Mrs. Martin and received a steady stream of visitors for about two hours, including several of their neighbors and at least two of the nurses who attended Mrs. Martin during her treatments.

On the next morning, family and friends gathered at the cemetery of the First Reformed Church in Pompton Plains where Pastor George McDearmon led the service. He exhorted the Martin’s unsaved children and grandchildren to place their trust in the Savior of their mother and grandmother. He spoke of Mrs. Martin’s godly character and committed her mortal remains to their resting place – her “resurrection bed” - until Christ’s coming.

At noon approximately 700 people gathered at the church building for Mrs. Martin’s memorial service. Long-time friends Achille Blaize, Randy Pizzino and Robert Fisher participated in the service. Loving tributes were given by Heidi (Martin) Cook, Joyce Maltby (Pastor Martin’s sister who cared for Mrs. Martin in her final weeks), Eslyn Blaize, and Pastor Martin. Pastor Ted Donnelly preached the funeral sermon from the John 21 account of Jesus’ words to Peter about the death by which he would glorify God.

On Sunday, October 3, Pastor Donnelly preached on 2 Timothy 2:8, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.” In the evening Pastor Fisher preached from Philippians 1:21, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Both of these sermons were of great comfort to the people of God. For those who may be interested, either audio or video recordings of these sermons and the entire memorial service may be obtained through the book service or by calling the church office for more information.

Throughout their planning of the memorial service, Pastor and Mrs. Martin were concerned first of all to glorify God. Those who attended would testify that the merciful character of God was exalted in every part of the services. Their second concern was to see the gospel of Jesus Christ communicated to the unsaved. Although we have not heard of any immediate fruit, there were many children, young people, and adults who were brought into close contact with the realities of life and death and God’s gracious provision of a Savior for sinners.

Pastor Martin has sent out numerous updates to those on our mailing list, but he would also like to take this opportunity to thank those who have prayed for him and his wife over the weeks and months, and even years, of this prolonged trial. He faces inevitable and painful changes in his life as he has lost his beloved wife and companion of forty-eight years, but he also testifies that in new ways God has drawn closer to him and is upholding him. Pastor Martin returned to the pulpit twice in the weeks following his wife’s death, once to preach on the “immediate sequel to death” for those savingly joined to Christ, and once to preach from John 10 on Christ’s care for His sheep.

In the providence of God, Mrs. Martin’s elderly mother died in Daytona, Florida, shortly after Mrs. Martin’s death. As one of the few remaining relatives, Pastor Martin was called on to handle some of her affairs and traveled there during the last week of October. God helped him to complete those arrangements and return to New Jersey safely. He is now in the process of catching up on correspondence and gradually resuming his pastoral duties.

Requests for Prayer:

1. Give thanks and praise to God for His wisdom and love in the timing of events over the past weeks.

2. Exalt the grace of God poured into the hearts of grieving family and friends, and for the assurance of her salvation which Mrs. Martin held firmly to the end.

3. Give thanks that, for the Christian, death is not to be dreaded but is the passageway into the presence of Christ. Give thanks that Mrs. Martin, like Peter, magnified the Lord in her death.

4. Pray that any who are still strangers to Jesus Christ may not soon forget the message of God’s forgiving love that was preached and seen during the funeral events.

5. Pray specifically for the family members of Pastor and Mrs. Martin, that God will open their hearts to hear, obey, and follow Jesus Christ.

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