Joel Nestali Martinez
Encyclopedia
Joel Neftali Martinez is an Hispanic-American Bishop
of the United Methodist Church
, elected in 1992. Prior to his election to the episcopacy, Rev. Martinez gained notability as a Pastor and District Superintendent in the Methodist and United Methodist Churches and as a denominational official in the area of ethnic ministries.
. He was the eldest of four children born to Guadalupe and Dora Martinez. Martinez is a grandson of sharecropper farmers who came to the United States
at the turn of the nineteenth century. Martinez was baptized at the Iglesia Metodista Unida La Trinidad, where his parents are still active members.
Martinez met Raquel Mora while in college
in El Paso, Texas
. They were married 9 June 1961. She was born in Allende, Coahuila
, Mexico
, where her father was a Methodist pastor
. The Mora family came to the United States when Raquel was twelve years old. Joel and Raquel have three children: Patricia, John and Rebeca.
degree in History from the University of Texas at El Paso
in 1961. His wife attended the Lydia Patterson Institute
in El Paso at the same time. Martinez went on to graduate from the Perkins School of Theology
at Southern Methodist University
, Dallas, Texas
in 1965, earning the M.Div. degree. Martinez received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Perkins in 1995. He also was honored with the honorary degree
D.D. by Nebraska Wesleyan University
in 1993. His wife has a degree in Music Education
from UTEP and a Master of Sacred Music
degree from Perkins.
in the Rio Grande Annual Conference
of The Methodist Church in 1962. He was ordained Elder in 1965. Bishop Paul E. Martin presided at both ordinations.
. Martinez served the following appointments as Pastor: El Buen Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas
(1965-70) and the Emanuel Church, El Paso, Texas
(1970-79). From 1973 until 1975 he also served as the Director of Planning and Development for the Newark-Houchen Center in El Paso.
In 1975 Martinez was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Office of Ethnic and Language Ministries of the National Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the U.M. Church, serving in this capacity until 1981. He was then appointed Superintendent of the Northern District of the Rio Grande Annual Conference of the U.M. Church, with headquarters in San Antonio, Texas
(1981-87). His last appointment before election to the Episcopacy was as Pastor of the Emanu-El Church in Dallas (1987-92).
(1986-91). He was elected a Delegate to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in 1984, and to the U.M. General Conference in 1988 and 1992. He also represented the church as a Delegate to the Seventh Assembly of the World Council of Churches
, 1991 in Canberra, Australia. He also served as Chairperson, Division of Human Relations, U.M. General Board of Church and Society (1972-75).
during the 1970s. He worked to establish the first federally funded health clinic for the poor of El Paso. Martinez also was a founding member of the National Hispanic
Caucus
in the U.M. Church in 1970. He also supported the organizing of poor fishermen on the island of Puerto Rico
in the late 1970s.
Martinez worked on the initial proposals to the 1976 U.M. General Conference for a Missional Priority on the Ethnic Minority Local Church. He served on the Ethnic Minority Local Church Inter-Agency Committee on the Missional Priority (1976-80). He later chaired the National Missional Priority Coordinating Committee during the 1984-88 quadrennium. During the 1988-92 quadrennium, he served as Secretary of the National Committee to Develop a Plan for Hispanic Ministry, and was President of the National Hispanic Caucus (1987-90).
, Canberra, Australia in 1991. He was a member of the Finance Committee of the National Council of Churches in the U.S.A. (1979-80). He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Seminaro Evangelico of Puerto Rico
(1975-81).
and consecrated a Bishop of the United Methodist Church by the 1992 South Central Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned the Nebraska
Episcopal Area
(the Nebraska Annual Conference). In 2000 Martinez was assigned the San Antonio Episcopal Area (the Rio Grande and Southwest Texas Annual Conferences).
One of Martinez's interests is fostering closer relationships between the U.M.C. and the Churches of Latin America
and the Caribbean. Another goal is to visit Asia
, and travel more extensively in Africa
and Latin America.
Martinez also writes church history with an emphasis on the contributions of Hispanics to the ecumenical church.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, elected in 1992. Prior to his election to the episcopacy, Rev. Martinez gained notability as a Pastor and District Superintendent in the Methodist and United Methodist Churches and as a denominational official in the area of ethnic ministries.
Birth and family
Martinez was born 3 February 1940 in Seguin, TexasSeguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...
. He was the eldest of four children born to Guadalupe and Dora Martinez. Martinez is a grandson of sharecropper farmers who came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the turn of the nineteenth century. Martinez was baptized at the Iglesia Metodista Unida La Trinidad, where his parents are still active members.
Martinez met Raquel Mora while in college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. They were married 9 June 1961. She was born in Allende, Coahuila
Allende, Coahuila
Allende is a city in the Mexican state of Coahuila.The city serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of Allende.-History:The name "Allende" is in honour of Ignacio Allende, a hero of Mexico's War of Independence...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where her father was a Methodist pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
. The Mora family came to the United States when Raquel was twelve years old. Joel and Raquel have three children: Patricia, John and Rebeca.
Education
Martinez earned the B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in History from the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
in 1961. His wife attended the Lydia Patterson Institute
Lydia Patterson Institute
Lydia Patterson Institute is a Methodist Christian college-preparatory school located in El Paso, Texas, United States. Founded in 1913, it offers programs for Spanish-speaking children, primarily from Juarez, to attend high school in the United States and attend an American undergraduate university...
in El Paso at the same time. Martinez went on to graduate from the Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology is one of Southern Methodist University's three original schools. The theology school was renamed in 1945 to honor benefactors Joe J...
at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
in 1965, earning the M.Div. degree. Martinez received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Perkins in 1995. He also was honored with the honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
D.D. by Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private, coeducational university located in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2007, it has 1,600 full-time students and 300 faculty and staff. The school teaches in the tradition of a liberal arts college education....
in 1993. His wife has a degree in Music Education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
from UTEP and a Master of Sacred Music
Master of Sacred Music
The Master of Sacred Music degree is a two to five year post-baccalaureate degree that combines academic and musical studies. The closure of graduate programs in organ performance across America has made the MSM increasingly the de facto degree for advanced studies in church music; MSM graduates...
degree from Perkins.
Ordained ministry
Martinez was ordained a DeaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the Rio Grande Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
of The Methodist Church in 1962. He was ordained Elder in 1965. Bishop Paul E. Martin presided at both ordinations.
. Martinez served the following appointments as Pastor: El Buen Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(1965-70) and the Emanuel Church, El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
(1970-79). From 1973 until 1975 he also served as the Director of Planning and Development for the Newark-Houchen Center in El Paso.
In 1975 Martinez was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Office of Ethnic and Language Ministries of the National Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the U.M. Church, serving in this capacity until 1981. He was then appointed Superintendent of the Northern District of the Rio Grande Annual Conference of the U.M. Church, with headquarters in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
(1981-87). His last appointment before election to the Episcopacy was as Pastor of the Emanu-El Church in Dallas (1987-92).
Service to the United Methodist Church
Prior to his election to the episcopacy, Martinez gave leadership to many areas of the worldwide United Methodist Church. He was a member of the General Council on Ministries (1984-88), and of the World Methodist CouncilWorld Methodist Council
The World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, is an association of churches in the Methodist tradition which comprises most of the world's Wesleyan denominations.- Extension and organization:...
(1986-91). He was elected a Delegate to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in 1984, and to the U.M. General Conference in 1988 and 1992. He also represented the church as a Delegate to the Seventh Assembly of the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
, 1991 in Canberra, Australia. He also served as Chairperson, Division of Human Relations, U.M. General Board of Church and Society (1972-75).
Involvement in labor and ethnic issues
From early exposure to the plight of farm workers, and later in student ministry to migrant workers, Martinez learned to appreciate the urgent need for poor people to organize themselves in order to participate more equitably in society. He worked with Cesar ChavezCésar Chávez
César Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
during the 1970s. He worked to establish the first federally funded health clinic for the poor of El Paso. Martinez also was a founding member of the National Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
Caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
in the U.M. Church in 1970. He also supported the organizing of poor fishermen on the island of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in the late 1970s.
Martinez worked on the initial proposals to the 1976 U.M. General Conference for a Missional Priority on the Ethnic Minority Local Church. He served on the Ethnic Minority Local Church Inter-Agency Committee on the Missional Priority (1976-80). He later chaired the National Missional Priority Coordinating Committee during the 1984-88 quadrennium. During the 1988-92 quadrennium, he served as Secretary of the National Committee to Develop a Plan for Hispanic Ministry, and was President of the National Hispanic Caucus (1987-90).
Ecumenical ministry
Martinez has always worked ecumenically in his ministry. For example, he served as the President of the Greater Dallas Community of Churches in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He also was a delegate to the Seventh Assembly of the World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
, Canberra, Australia in 1991. He was a member of the Finance Committee of the National Council of Churches in the U.S.A. (1979-80). He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Seminaro Evangelico of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
(1975-81).
Episcopal ministry
Martinez was electedElected
Elected is the latest EP by Dutch Progressive metal project Ayreon. It was released on April 25, 2008 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and on April 28 in the rest of Europe...
and consecrated a Bishop of the United Methodist Church by the 1992 South Central Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned the Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
Episcopal Area
Episcopal Area
An Episcopal Area in the United Methodist Church is a basic unit of this denomination. It is a region presided over by a resident bishop that is similar to a diocese in other Christian denominations. Each annual conference in the UMC is within a single episcopal area; some episcopal areas...
(the Nebraska Annual Conference). In 2000 Martinez was assigned the San Antonio Episcopal Area (the Rio Grande and Southwest Texas Annual Conferences).
One of Martinez's interests is fostering closer relationships between the U.M.C. and the Churches of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the Caribbean. Another goal is to visit Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and travel more extensively in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Latin America.
Martinez also writes church history with an emphasis on the contributions of Hispanics to the ecumenical church.
Selected writings
- Fiesta Cristiana (with Raquel Martinez), Nashville: Abingdon PressAbingdon PressAbingdon Press is the book publishing arm of the United Methodist Publishing House which publishes sheet music, ministerial resources, Bible-study aids, and other items, often with a focus on Methodism and Methodists. Abingdon Press was begun in the early 1900s by The Methodist Church, and is...
, 2003. ISBN 0687021596