Joscelyn Sepeter Martin, Leeward Virgin Islands superintendent, passed away September 21, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Joscelyn Sepeter Martin responded to the call to be saved, sanctified and sent out to serve the Lord as a young man. His journey took him from the village of Aberdeen in the parish of St. Elizabeth in Jamaica firstly to the Caribbean Nazarene Theological College, CNTC, (now Caribbean Nazarene College – CNC) in Santa Cruz, Trinidad where he began theological studies in 1981.
Following his heart, Joscelyn travelled to Guyana where, after marrying the love of his life, Sandra in July 1982, he took up Pastorate of the Friendship Church of the Nazarene as well as the Church located at Number Thirty-Five Village, remaining there until 1983.
Joscelyn was a Caribbean man, with a burning passion to see the work of the Lord spread across the Region and after only 2 years in Guyana, he moved his family to St. Vincent to take up the Pastorate at the Rillan Hill Church, during which time they founded a Preschool at Vermont. In 1985 the couple – now with firstborn son Josiah in tow – moved back to Trinidad as Joscelyn was determined to complete his studies. He graduated from CNTC in 1986.
Returning to his native Jamaica in 1986, Joscelyn was assigned to the Mineral Heights Church. During their time there the fledgling Church grew to over 100 members and the Pre-School’s enrollment reached over 140 young Students. Joscelyn received his instruments of ordination in Jamaica in 1988.
By 1993 the Martin family – now numbering 4 with the addition of daughter LaFleur – was headed back to Guyana to Pastor the Queenstown Church of the Nazarene located in the eastern section of the capital city, Georgetown. They pastored there for 3 years before answering a call from the All Saints Church of the Nazarene located in the village of the same name, in Antigua.
At the All Saints Church, Joscelyn and his family threw themselves into the work of ministry and community building with customary zeal and passion. They busied themselves with building the church and building the lives of those they encountered in the community. A fervent cricket fan and sportsman, Rev. Martin threw himself into the village’s cricketing & sporting fraternity and served as a Mentor to several of the younger men he met. As he matured and his ministry grew, Joscelyn became involved in the work of the local United Evangelical Association, rising to lead the Organisation as President from 2000 to 2005 and remaining a member of the Executive throughout.
It was while he was Pastoring at the All Saints Church that Rev. Joscelyn Martin was appointed District Superintendent of the Dominica District in 2016. He was appointed District Superintendent of the Leeward Virgin Islands District in 2017 and was serving in that position when he succumbed to cancer after a valiant battle.
Rev. Joscelyn Sepeter Martin served the Church of the Nazarene for 40 years!
He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years Rev. Sandra Martin, their two adult children Josiah and LaFleur and two adorable grandchildren Josiah Jr. 5 and Raina 2. He will be forever loved by the congregants at the All Saints Church and the people of All Saints and surrounding villages in Antigua; his humble, caring and affable personality will be missed among his colleague Ministers; friends will dearly miss his forever smiling face.
