FRANKLIN
The Rev. Dr. Martin A. Powell, a native of Franklin, and his wife will be opening a new church in the area in the beginning of next year. Victory Revival Church will have its inaugural service on Sunday, Jan. 3, at 11 a.m., in J.P. King Jr. Middle School, 501 Charles St., Franklin.

Powell has been married to his wife Barbara for 29 years and they live in the Western Branch area of Chesapeake. Together they have three children and three grandchildren. He has served as both pastor and chaplain.

“I have a special affinity for Franklin, having been my place of birth and the place where I spent my formative years, and so I felt a calling to come back and to partner with others in the Franklin area to establish a new church,” he said.

Powell also said that he had a lot of encouragement from many members of the Franklin community to open a church in the area.

He received a Doctorate in Biblical Studies from The Masters School of Divinity, a Masters of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Trinity Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from Excelsior College.

Powell is also a graduate of the Executive Leadership and Management Program, Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

Besides earning his many degrees and working in the biblical field, Powell also completed a military career with the Navy and now serves as a federal civil servant with the Joint Staff in Northern Suffolk

“I’ve always had two jobs. That job [military] and this job,” he said.

The church will have a community event on Saturday, Nov. 21, in the Walmart Parking lot, where they will be meeting the public and handing out flyers to inform the community about the new church.

“I’m looking forward to meeting more of the public and having a wonderful time that day,” Dr. Powell said.

When asked how many people he is expecting at the inaugural service he said, “Well, the reality is, only God knows.

Having said that, we are grateful that God has provided us this opportunity to continue to propagate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to minister to those in need. I might add that Franklin Public Schools, J.P. King Middle School, the Franklin Walmart and Tidewater News have all been very helpful toward this effort.”

Powell and his wife are hoping to have a good influence on the community with the opening of their church.

“I hope to make a great impact and I think we already have in some sense,” he continued.

“The church has an important function in our society. One of the most important functions is to save the loss. We are also hoping help individuals grow spiritually. We want to be another member of the team of the churches in the area that are continuing to do that.”