'Something cool happening at Lynwood': Baptist church welcomes new worship pastor

Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau has welcomed Gabe Martinez as the new pastor of worship. Martinez brings a heart for God and a background in music, which have already affected the Lynwood church family since his first Sunday there on Jan. 24.

"My job is to make the experience of worship something that feels like a community, not a celebrity-driven kind of thing," he said in describing the role of a pastor of worship.

Martinez has personal experience in what celebrity music entails. As a signed artist with a Tennessee Christian label in Nashville, which is where he lived before coming to Cape Girardeau not even a month ago, he was in two bands: Circleslide and StompTown Revival.

"Worship was always a part of what we did at concerts," he said.

But his focus has certainly changed over time.

Gabe Martinez, pastor of worship at Lynwood Baptist Church, poses for a photo Thursday.Glenn Landberg

Discussing his start in music, Martinez said he has been playing music since he was 14, when he was in various types of bands, most notably punk rock. The mission field, however, is where he learned the heartbeat of music ministry and worship.

For about 10 years, he did mission work in Russia, where he met his wife, Debbie, who is from Jackson. It was there, he said, that he truly found a love for music. During missionary work, he developed an appreciation for "servant leadership" and the importance of helping people see their full potential in music. He said he learned to focus on others and not just himself.

Nashville helped shape his music talent, as it exposed him to a "collaborative songwriting experience ... that [he] wasn't aware of before." It taught him to "get out of the way and let others shine," Martinez said.

He has carried this lesson with him in his leadership role at Lynwood. Worship there is not focused on one person, he said. "There's so much talent already here," he said, adding it's about everyone and "less like you're here to see one guy."

He said he enjoys seeing people grab a microphone and lead.

"That is the exciting part -- seeing people doing something they thought they could only do in the shower," he said. They say, "'If they can do it, I can step out and do it.' ... That's what my hope is for my time here." He is all about "develop[ing] underused talent," he added. His own excitement, he said, is "super contagious."

Central to the music are the violin, banjo, cello and choir. Martinez is the band leader and choir director, and he also sings and plays the harmonica and guitar. He said he is especially pleased with what the choir, which has already grown, adds to the worship experience. The choir is the "special ingredient" in their music, and it "sets Lynwood apart."

"We're definitely a good blend of both modern music and also some very old hymns that we're resurrecting and dusting off and giving a little modern twist to them," he said.

His aim is to "bridge the gap." He appreciates "the new" in music but also is "mindful of the Heartland." And, he said, "You've got some great old hymns -- some throwbacks and some fun, foot-stomping kind of music."

He spoke of a "Neil Young and Bob Dylan vibe" and said that in their Feb. 7 service, they went back to a '70s gospel Andrae Crouch tune.

"There's something cool happening at Lynwood right now," he said.

But it's not all about the music.

"Lynwood has a strong emphasis on making guests feel extremely welcome right when they pull up ... to when they drop their kids off [at children's ministry]. ... In fact, guests get a gift when they walk through the door," Martinez said. He described the children's ministry as "amazing." That goes beyond Sunday; their weekday preschool program is "top notch," he said, and has a waiting list. These attributes may distinguish Lynwood, but the church is similar to other churches, he stated, because they "love Jesus, and he's the center."

After a hard week, "some people come here hurting," Martinez said. Lynwood, he believes, enables them to have a "worship experience where that is put in perspective."

Martinez also praised the church's senior pastor, Mark Anderson, calling himself "a big fan of Pastor Mark's sermons," which he described as "passionate," "steady" and "consistent."

Martinez and his family are new to Lynwood, but the congregation has embraced them.

"We uprooted our lives," he said of the move from Nashville. "We're close to family now, and to be part of a community like Lynwood -- we're super grateful."