our pastor

Pastor Martin T. Pickett

Pastor Martin T. Pickett continues to defy description and labels by integrating worship, praise, preaching, teaching and encouragement. He was called to preach at the tender age of 18. 

He was licensed to preach in 1989 by the late Reverend C.W. Pate, the esteemed Pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Maple Hill, and ordained in 1996 by the Middle District Baptist Association. Pastor Pickett received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Biology from UNC, where he also met and married Angela S. Norman. They are the proud parents of three beautiful children: Marcia, Solomon and Azeb. 

He holds a Master’s degree in Divinity with emphasis in Pastoral Counseling from Shaw University School of Divinity. He served as Chaplain for the Forsyth Department of Corrections’ Jail and Prison Ministries of Winston-Salem. While there he was featured on the Tom Joyner’s Morning Show. 

After ten successful years of diligent service as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church Merrifield, in Falls Church, Virginia, God led Reverend Martin Pickett to begin again and establish Faith Encounters Community Church (FECC) in December 2016. Since its inception in December, FECC has grown from 5 to over 50 members and continues to grow weekly. 

Pastor Pickett is thankful for ordaining several men and women in ministry as well as supporting missions to Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico City, Ethiopia, The United Kingdom, Brazil, and Zimbabwe.