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With the Rev. Edward Martin, preaching is a family affair

JOLIET — They have been called as men of God, says the Rev. Edward Martin, 54, and his sons, Wendell, 20, and Rodney, 25. Edward, who is pastor at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, has five sons, but did not expect any of them to choose the ministry. Rodney said watching his father caused him to say he did not want to be a minister when he grew up. "We saw my dad seven days a week," Wendell added. "We heard the phone calls at 3 a.m. from people who needed prayer."...

  Although being a minister is hard work, some may think that being a black minister is even harder.

  Edward said that when he came to the ministry in the late 1970s, the worst was already past for blacks.

  "It was basically when things started to settle down as far as racial tensions," he said. "You also have to celebrate after the struggle is over with and I think that's basically where we come in."

  Although the elder Martin said he has talked to people who felt they had been wronged due to their race, his job is not to become a political activist. His sons are quick to agree.

  "We aren't a political body," Wendell said. "We deal with issues a different way."

  Rather than jumping into the political arena, Wendell said he asks himself how God would tell him to respond.

  "Respond to them the way Jesus would respond," he said. "Our main goal is to get people to heaven."

  Edward thinks it is unfortunate that many black political activists happen to have the title "The Rev." in front of their names.

  "God must be first," he said. "I know there are certain issues you must stand up for, but let them be secondary. Let God be the solution to the problem."

  Rodney said it is frustrating that the radical ministers are the only ones making the headlines.

  "God didn't call us to be political radicals," Wendell said. "I think a lot of problems will get solved a lot quicker if the Christian church at large begins to look at things from a Biblical aspect."

  Edward encourages people to look forward.

  "We came a long way, but we got a long way to go," he begins. "Still you can't spend a whole lot of time looking at the past. Some people cannot press forward for looking backwards. There are some things we are going to have to bury the hatchet about."

  Edwards said racism is not a black-white issue and some whites suffer prejudice because of ethnicity.

  "We have to learn to see people as people," he said. "We are all God's children. We're just different shades."

Receiving a call

  Edward, who will celebrate 20 years with his church in April, said he always knew he was different than other children when he was growing up, because he had unusual compassion for people and great respect for his parents, but it was not until 1978 that he realized God was calling him to become a minister.

  In 1998, Rodney said he was called to the ministry and is now a minister at Progressive Life Giving Word Cathedral in Maywood.

  "A lot of people came to me and talked to me," Rodney said. "I was open and honest and dealt with people on their level. A lot of people have this stigma about ministers that they're so high up and unreachable."

  Wendell realized God was calling him when he was a teen-ager in December 1998, but he did not accept the call until April 1999.

  "I'm 1,7" Wendell recalled of his thoughts back then. "Is this what I really want to do with my life?"

  But after a few nights tossing and turning, he told God yes and gave his first sermon in June 1999 at his father's church, where he still preaches.

  "It was a shaky situation," Wendell says with a laugh when recalling that first sermon. "I was a little timid, but the words flowed as God began to take over."

  Although Edward and Rodney both have full-time jobs besides their ministries — Edward is a chef, Rodney a human resources specialist — Wendell is planning a career as a full-time minister.

  When Edward talks about his 30 years as a chef, Wendell points out that Jesus also fed people when he preached to them.

  And Rodney sees his career in human resources as a way to help people create better lives for themselves by getting better jobs. He is currently working on a master's degree in human resources management.

  "Especially in the African American community, there are a lack of professional role models to serve as mentors," Rodney explains. "My heart is with helping people."

  Wendell is a religious studies major at Lewis University and plans to get a master's degree in divinity.

  "I want to see people saved," he said. "I want this to be my life."