August 18, 2010: Dr. Joseph Martin is the 45th faculty member to enter the Belhaven Legacy of Learning. This prestigious group is comprised of dedicated individuals who have given twenty years or more of teaching service to Belhaven. Dr. Martin, Professor of Christian Ministries and Chair of the Biblical Studies Department, continues to teach the Bible to his students and to guide them in understanding Christian ministry, as he has for two decades at Belhaven.

“What a blessing it is to work with the students, staff, faculty and administration at Belhaven,” says Dr. Martin. “It is encouraging to see God faithfully and powerfully at work in our midst, satisfying to see Him transform lives, and rewarding to hear of graduates who are serving the Lord in many different places and in many ways. May God be praised for all these good things, and may we keep looking to him in faith for all that lies ahead. ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.’ (Psalm 34:8)”

It does not take much interaction with Dr. Martin to discover his great passion for Brazil, where he and his wife Helen, an adjunct Bible teacher at Belhaven, served as missionaries for twenty-four years. Of course, his time there allowed him to become fluent in the Portuguese language, so it seems fitting that we offer thanks to him for his service with words just for him…”Muito Obrigado!”

Belhaven University, formerly Belhaven College, prepares men and women academically and spiritually to serve Christ Jesus in their careers, in human relationships, and in the world of ideas. Founded in 1883, the University now serves over 3,000 students from campuses in Jackson, Memphis, Orlando, Houston, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and online.