Norm Martin celebrates 80th birthday with family tennis match

Norm Martin celebrated his 80th birthday Sunday with a tennis match with family members at Callicott Student Park.
The players were Martin’s daughter Norene Sofranac and her daughter Nelli, daughter Lois Serns, son-in-law Dan Serns and their children Jacob and Danesa.
Martin played about 18 matches, winning half of them. He has encouraged his daughters to play tennis as they grew up, and has been giving weekly lessons to Nelli. 
Martin, who served 10 years as administrative pastor of the Keene Adventist Church, preached his farewell sermon July 25, 1998, ending 32 years of service from the pulpit.
That was not Martin’s intentions in 1955 when he graduated from Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) with a degree in mechanical engineering.
During his senior at A&M, Martin, a native of Denver, Colo., who grew up in Ponca City, Okla., married Dickie Corrigan on Jan. 21, 1954, in Ponca City. She was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. He was not.
After graduation, Martin spent two years in the military, then joined Humble Oil Company (now Exxon) for eight years, four in Corpus Christi and four in Houston.
During that time, Martin had three promotions faster than anyone at Humble. Meanwhile, he joined the Adventist Church through baptism in Corpus Christi and, upon moving to Houston, became an active layman, teaching Sabbath School, serving on the school board, and accepting the challenge to visit every member in their home.
“Somehow, I really felt called to do the Lord’s work,” Martin said. “I thought about teaching, but felt impressed to enter the ministry.
Martin resigned from Humble and, with a wife and three children, took off pulling a trailer and headed for Michigan.
Martin attended the Adventist seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich., graduating in 1966 with a master’s degree in religion. He was assigned to pastor a Texas district that included Galveston, Texas City and Brazosport. In 1968 he accepted an invitation to pastor the Corpus Christi church where he was baptized.
In 1972, Martin became the senior pastor of the Houston Central Adventist Church where, 10 years earlier, he had decided to work for the Lord full-time.
After Houston, Martin’s other assignments have included: South Bend, Ind., 1975-77; Glendale, Calif., 1977-79; Roseburg, Ore., 1979-84; and Portland, Ore., where he pastored the 900-plus member Rockwood church.
“When we arrived in Roseburg, there were 666 members,” Martin said. “I wanted to recruit another member right away.”
Martin’s responsibilities in Keene included chairman of the church board (10 years), finance and nominating committees, member of the maintenance, building and policy committees, member of the board and finance committee at Keene Adventist Elementary School and Chisholm Trail Academy, member of the KAES personnel committee, member of the church worship committee, and member of numerous church and school ad-hoc committees.
Martin keeps busy taking care of his North Hill Estates house and playing tennis.
“We designed our house with four bedrooms so there’s room when the children and grandchildren visit,” Martin said.
Norm and Dickie, former administrative assistant to the president at Southwestern Adventist University, have four children: Norene Sofranac, who lives in Keene; Bill, operator of Loree’s Home Place in Keene along with his wife, Loree; Lois Serns, whose husband, Dan, pastors the Richardson Adventist Church; and Rick, who lives in Houston.
“I plan to enjoy my grandchildren, have lots of potlucks and play lots of tennis,” Martin said.