The Rev. Martin C. Singley III, pastor at the Community Church of Tellico Village, will retire May 1 after logging a little less than 40 years of ministering and 18 years with the church.
“I think God’s hand has been upon me since I was a little child,” Singley said. “Little by little over the course of my lifetime, I found God leading me in different ways.”
Singley was raised in Massachusetts, where he completed all of his schooling. He attended Springfield College for his undergraduate degree, where he completed a double major in sociology and anthropology. As a sophomore, he felt a strong calling to go into the ministry.
Upon graduating from Springville, he went on to finish his master’s of divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1974.
“What can you do when you feel like God is leading you in a direction?” Singley said. “So I finished up my college career and went off to seminary, and I haven’t looked back.”
Singley pastored at more established churches for quite some time before being persuaded to join a younger church in the Village. The first church he worked at was 275 years old by the time he began preaching, and the second church was 100 years old. When contacted by Bob Puckett, minister in Norris, he knew it was an opportunity he could not turn down.
“I was very attracted to the idea of being able to come and serve a church that was almost a brand new church,” Singley said. “It was only about eight years old at the time. It gave me an opportunity to really shape the beginnings of a church.”
He and his two associate pastors, the Revs. Rhonda Blevins and Tim Meadows, have done exactly that. When Puckett helped form the church, he had a goal, “to bring people together around our common faith in Christ rather than our denominational differences,” Singley said.
Singley and members are proud to say that there are more than 17 denominations included in the church.
Singley said community churches differ from specific denominational churches in that the focus is not on the members inside the church but on the people outside of it.
“Community churches are really aimed outward,” Singley said. “So our ministries to those around us is really one of the most important things there can be.”
Most charity-related organizations in the community began through the church, or members of the church were involved in some way, Singley said. While an important goal is to care for church members and help enrich their spirituality, the main purpose is to focus on the community and touch people through the Gospel.
Singley said Community Church of Tellico Village is successful at that and will continue to be once he is gone, mainly because of his fellow pastors.
“I’ve got two of the most wonderful associates I could possibly have had,” Singley said. “They are highly skilled people, talented ministers. They’ve been great team members and add an awful lot to the life of our church. They will be one of the real strong reasons that the church will be able to continue to be strong in the interim until we settle on our next leadership.”
A little less than 1,500 members currently attend Community Church. Worship services are held at 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Sundays, and a contemporary service takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesdays with a praise band.
Everyone will be involved in Singley’s retirement celebration, which will be organized by Blevins, who has been with Community Church for 6 1/2 years.
On April 27, two services will be combined into one at 10:15 a.m., in which Singley will give his last Sunday sermon. About 11:30 a.m., a picnic will be held, and Kentucky Fried Chicken will cater. While part of the events are secretive for Singley’s sake, some details were spilled.
“We’re going to have fun at this thing,” Blevins said.
Martypalooza will occur at 1:30 p.m. He will receive gifts, and numerous speakers will attend. The leader of the International Council of Community Churches will speak, as well as the Rev. Charlie Bernard and Shauna Oden, executive director of Loudon County Habitat for Humanity. Musicians will be playing but cannot be named, Blevins said.
Marty’s band, the Eastern Himalayan Community College Almost Precision Somewhat Synchronized Marching Tambourine Band, may also make an appearance.
Once completely finished with his ministry on May 1, Singley plans for he and his wife, Sandy, to move to Lexington, Ky. His daughter and family live there, and his son lives in Massachusetts with his family. His biggest hope after retiring is that he will be able to see his children and grandchildren more often.
Regardless, Community Church will go on and flourish, he said, in what Blevins refers to as “God’s country.”
“We’re going to certainly miss Marty, but I look forward the future this church has here,” Blevins said. “I think we have a unique calling in this community in this region because of the kind of church we are.”
