JOSH MARTIN

LEAD PASTOR

I grew up in a small town in East Texas. When I was in 4th grade we moved to a new town and a classmate invited me to a Baptist Church for their Wednesday Youth Nights. After attending there for a few months, a man named Norman paid my way to RA camp. R.A. stands for Royal Ambassador. It’s like Boy Scouts for Jesus.

God saved me that summer at R.A. camp when a missionary couple from Argentina came in and shared their story. They had joy, peace, adventure, but above all they had the Gospel and I was being drawn into it. That night I prayed with Norman and repented of my sins and asked Jesus to be Lord over my life and the next summer at the same camp I felt called to ministry. God continued to refine that calling in me through the rest of high school.

I went to college at East Texas Baptist University where I grew in my knowledge and love of the scripture and further gained a passion for the local church. I was transforming in leaps and bounds and devouring every piece of church planting content I could find. I came alive under great bible teaching and under the vision of the church as an unstoppable force. I moved to Pullman Washington in October of 2006 to help plant and pastor Resonate Church. Amy and I were married in June of 2007, and we’ve been married 14 years and have 3 daughters. Girl dad life is the best.

For the last 15 years I served as a pastor of Resonate, a church focused on reaching college students in the Northwest. Over that time we saw God move in mighty ways leading us to baptize over 1,000 students and plant 14 churches. It was the joy of my life working beneath the favor of God and among my best friends at Resonate. I miss it dearly, but Amy and I are confident God was releasing us to pursue a new work at Grace Church. God has confirmed that so many times and in so many ways already. We’re humbled to be here leading alongside an incredible team and serving a prayerful and resilient church.

Over the years, my passion for the local church has never waned. Being a pastor is brutal at times, but I’m as committed as ever to the truth that disciple making in the context of the local church is God’s strategy to reach the world. My prayer is that God allows our background and experience to lead Grace Church towards the church God designed her to be.