William Clyde Martin
Encyclopedia
William Clyde Martin was a Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church South
, The Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church
. He distinguished himself in military service
during World War I as a Methodist Pastor
and held ecumenical ministries with the National Council of Churches
and the World Council of Churches
.
as the son of John Harmon and Leila Martin, née
Ballard. He married Sally Katherine Beene on July 1, 1918. The couple had three children, Donald Hankey Martin who served in the United States Army Air Forces
during World War II
, Mary Catharine Martin, and John Lee Martin who served in the United States Army
(U.S. Army) during World War II.
from 1913 to 1914, graduating from Hendrix College
with a Bachelor of Arts
(B.A.) degree in 1918. He attended the University of Aberdeen
in 1919 and earned the Bachelor of Divinity
(B.D.) degree from Southern Methodist University
in 1921. Martin was a member of Chi Alpha and Theta Phi fraternities.
Martin served in the U.S. Army during World War I.
of Grace Methodist Church in Houston, Texas
in 1921 and served as a pastor for the church until 1925. Martin next served as Pastor of the First Methodist Church in Port Arthur
from 1925 until 1928. He was appointed the Pastor of First Methodist in Little Rock, Arkansas
in 1928 and served as a pastor for the church until 1931. His final appointment before election to the Episcopacy was First Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas
, from 1931–38. Martin was elected a delegate to the Methodist Episcopal Church South
General Conference in 1938.
in 1939, Bishop Martin was assigned the Kansas
-Nebraska
Episcopal Area. His offices were at 810 National Bank of Topeka Building in Topeka, Kansas
.
Martin was a trustee of Southern Methodist University and a special lecturer
at the Perkins School of Theology
of the university. He also served on many church-wide agencies. Martin was considered one of the most dedicated and effective leaders in the Methodist Church.
in the United States during 1953–54. He was a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches
during 1954–61.
(D.D.) degree by Hendrix College in 1929. Nebraska Wesleyan University
gave Bishop Martin an Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree in 1940. Baker University
awarded him the LL.D. in 1944. In 1952 he was designated a Distinguished Alumnus
of Southern Methodist University.
Bishop Martin died August 30, 1984.
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 Methodist Episcopal Church South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
, The Methodist Church and 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...
. He distinguished himself in military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
during World War I as 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"....
and held ecumenical ministries with the National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
and 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...
.
Birth and family
Martin was born July 28, 1893 in Randolph, TennesseeRandolph, Tennessee
Randolph is an unincorporated rural community in Tipton County, Tennessee, United States, located on the banks of the Mississippi River. Randolph was founded in the 1820s and in 1827, the Randolph Post office was established. In the 1830s, the town became an early center of river commerce in West...
as the son of John Harmon and Leila Martin, née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Ballard. He married Sally Katherine Beene on July 1, 1918. The couple had three children, Donald Hankey Martin who served in the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Mary Catharine Martin, and John Lee Martin who served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
(U.S. Army) during World War II.
Education and military service
Martin attended the University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
from 1913 to 1914, graduating from Hendrix College
Hendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college located in Conway, Arkansas. The student body averages around 1,400 and currently represents forty-three states and fourteen foreign countries. In US News and World Report's America's Best Colleges, Hendrix is ranked annually in the top tier of...
with a Bachelor of Arts
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...
(B.A.) degree in 1918. He attended the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
in 1919 and earned the Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
(B.D.) degree from 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...
in 1921. Martin was a member of Chi Alpha and Theta Phi fraternities.
Martin served in the U.S. Army during World War I.
Ordained ministry
Reverent Martin was ordained in 1921. He was appointed the PastorPastor
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"....
of Grace Methodist Church in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 1921 and served as a pastor for the church until 1925. Martin next served as Pastor of the First Methodist Church in Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
from 1925 until 1928. He was appointed the Pastor of First Methodist in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
in 1928 and served as a pastor for the church until 1931. His final appointment before election to the Episcopacy was First 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...
, from 1931–38. Martin was elected a delegate to the Methodist Episcopal Church South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
General Conference in 1938.
Episcopal ministry
William Clyde Martin was elected a Bishop at the last General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1938. He was assigned to the Pacific Area of his denomination. Upon the reunion of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Methodist Protestant ChurchMethodist Protestant Church
The Methodist Protestant Church is a regional Church body which was officially formed in 1828 by former members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, remaining Wesleyan in doctrine and worship, but adopting congregational governance....
in 1939, Bishop Martin was assigned the Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
-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. His offices were at 810 National Bank of Topeka Building in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
.
Martin was a trustee of Southern Methodist University and a special lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at 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...
of the university. He also served on many church-wide agencies. Martin was considered one of the most dedicated and effective leaders in the Methodist Church.
National and international ministry
Bishop Martin was President of the National Council of ChurchesNational Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
in the United States during 1953–54. He was a member of the Central Committee 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...
during 1954–61.
Honors
Martin was honored with the Doctor of DivinityDoctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
(D.D.) degree by Hendrix College in 1929. 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....
gave Bishop Martin an Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree in 1940. Baker University
Baker University
Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools...
awarded him the LL.D. in 1944. In 1952 he was designated a Distinguished Alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of Southern Methodist University.
Bishop Martin died August 30, 1984.