Paul Elliott Martin
Encyclopedia
Paul Elliott Martin was an American
Bishop
of The Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church
, elected in 1944. He also distinguished himself as a Methodist Pastor
and District Superintendent
, as well as by notable service to his denomination
.
the son of Dr. Charles Elliott and Annie Willie (née
Black) Martin. Paul married Mildred Helen Fryar 29 June 1920.
degree in 1919 from Southern Methodist University
. He also studied theology
at S.M.U. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon
fraternity.
during World War I
. He also served for three years as Superintendent of Schools
in his birthplace .
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
in 1922. He served the following appointments as a Pastor: Cedar Hill, Texas
; the Maple Ave. Methodist Church in Dallas; Henrietta, Texas
; Iowa Park, Texas
; and the Kavanaugh Methodist Church in Greenville, Texas
. He then was appointed Superintendent of the Wichita Falls District. His final appointment before becoming a Bishop was to First Methodist, Wichita Falls, Texas
(1938–44).
Rev. Martin was elected a delegate to the last General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 1938. He was a delegate to the 1939 Uniting Conference of The Methodist Church. He was also a delegate to Methodist General and Jurisdictional Conferences in 1940 and 1944. He served as the President of the Board of Education of the North Texas
Annual Conference, and as a Trustee of Southern Methodist University and of Centenary College
.
-Louisiana
Episcopal Area
. His offices were at 723 Center St., Little Rock, Arkansas
.
fraternities Theta Phi and Tau Kappa Alpha. He was awarded the honorary degree
Doctor of Divinity
in 1938 by Southwestern University
.
Bishop Martin also was a member of the Masons
and of the Knife and Fork Club.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bishop
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 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...
, elected in 1944. He also distinguished himself 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 District Superintendent
District Superintendent (United Methodist Church)
A District Superintendent, often abbreviated D.S., in the United Methodist Church is a clergyperson who serves in a supervisory position over a geographic District of churches providing spiritual and administrative leadership to those churches and their pastors...
, as well as by notable service to his denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
.
Birth and family
Paul was born in Blossom, TexasBlossom, Texas
Blossom is a town in Lamar County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,439 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blossom is located at ....
the son of Dr. Charles Elliott and Annie Willie (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Black) Martin. Paul married Mildred Helen Fryar 29 June 1920.
Education
Paul earned the A.B.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 1919 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...
. He also studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at S.M.U. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
fraternity.
Military and Educational Service
Paul served as a 2nd Lieutenant of the American InfantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He also served for three years as Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
in his birthplace .
Ordained ministry
Paul joined the North Texas Annual ConferenceAnnual 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 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...
in 1922. He served the following appointments as a Pastor: Cedar Hill, Texas
Cedar Hill, Texas
Cedar Hill is a city in Dallas and Ellis Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located approximately sixteen miles southwest of downtown Dallas and is situated along the eastern shore of Joe Pool Lake and Cedar Hill State Park. The population was 32,093 at the 2000 census...
; the Maple Ave. Methodist Church in Dallas; Henrietta, Texas
Henrietta, Texas
Henrietta is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,264 at the 2000 census.-History:...
; Iowa Park, Texas
Iowa Park, Texas
Iowa Park is a city in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,431 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Iowa Park is located at ....
; and the Kavanaugh Methodist Church in Greenville, Texas
Greenville, Texas
Greenville is the county seat, and the largest city, of Hunt County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,557....
. He then was appointed Superintendent of the Wichita Falls District. His final appointment before becoming a Bishop was to First Methodist, Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
(1938–44).
Rev. Martin was elected a delegate to the last General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 1938. He was a delegate to the 1939 Uniting Conference of The Methodist Church. He was also a delegate to Methodist General and Jurisdictional Conferences in 1940 and 1944. He served as the President of the Board of Education of the North Texas
North Texas
North Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area forming the central-northeastern section of the U.S. state of Texas. North Texas is generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, and north of Waco...
Annual Conference, and as a Trustee of Southern Methodist University and of Centenary College
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
.
Episcopal ministry
The Rev. Paul Elliott Martin was elected and consecrated a Bishop of The Methodist Church by the 1944 South Central Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned the ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
-Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
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...
. His offices were at 723 Center St., 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...
.
Honors
Paul Elliott Martin was named to the honoraryHonorary society
Honorary society may refer to:* honor society* professional association* learned society...
fraternities Theta Phi and Tau Kappa Alpha. He was awarded 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...
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor 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....
in 1938 by Southwestern University
Southwestern University
Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...
.
Bishop Martin also was a member of the Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and of the Knife and Fork Club.