Pastor Richard A. Martin is the founder of Life Community Church in Arlington, TX along with his wife Tracie.  He holds a Bachelors in Theology from Vision University and is a Certified Faith-Based Clinical Counselor.  He is a native New Yorker from the Bronx, who has had the opportunity to be a pioneer along with Fred Lynch in Christian – “Holy Hip Hop” as a signed recording artist in the early 90s, performing and ministering throughout the United States.

In 2000, Pastor Rich accepted a full-time call to ministry as a Youth/Associate Pastor for Dominion Church in Arlington. There he and his wife Tracie founded “R.E.A.L. Life” Student Ministries, with a vision to move beyond just meeting the needs of the youth to deliberate outreach and evangelism to their families.  This led to another five+ years, of growing the youth group to over 250 students, who would serve their community through over one thousand acts of planned kindness, being a voice for others who could not be in their high schools and seeing restoration instead of wrecks among teens and their parents.

In 2006 after serving Dominion Church under Dr. G.J. Wolcson, Pastor Rich was given the mantle to continue the work of ministry started there and begin a new one. Thus, Life Community Church was formed and established, with an overarching vision to Love God, Love People & Make Disciples. Additionally, being determined to make Life better in the Community and create a viable and steady stream of income for the ministry, Pastor Rich & Tracie founded and opened Kids Community Preschool & Daycare in Arlington, in 2006 along with a Grand Prairie location, in 2011. Through Kids Community they have served over 1,000 families, nurtured/educated over 3,500 children, graduated over 1,500+ students entering Kindergarten reading at a first-grade level and given thousands in college scholarships to their graduates once they completed their high school education.

 Throughout the years Pastor Rich, PR as he is lovingly known as, has preached the gospel through the Word and music all around the world in such places as Nigeria, England, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico and in many major cities in the U.S.  Pastor Rich has taken his urban life experiences, his love for music, community and Jesus and breaks the ceilings before him, as an innovative and collaborative visionary establishing goals and accomplishing them.

Pastor Rich and Tracie have been married for nearly 35 years and have 3 adult sons. This is mentioned last not because its least but because it is the foundation upon all that God has built with, through and in him. His well-known quote in the DFW area, “I have but One Life, My Life Matters…So today I Will Grow” can be found on many classroom walls and etched on the hearts of all those he continues to serve.