Healing with Faith | Rick Martin (BA 1983)

“The Creator used Grebel for me to find my footing again so I could keep walking in a faith way,” said Rick Martin (BA 1983). After exploring and working in India as a young adult, Rick felt “a sense of calling to some kind of mission work.” Rick heard about professors at Conrad Grebel University College who were “informative good thinkers,” and soon found himself at the College. His path led him to many communities after Grebel, finding his place in Healing Circles and reconciliation at MSC Canada, an organization that supports Local Church Driven Missions.  

"Working in orphanages really drew me in, but I came back from India when I was about 20 to pursue more education,” Rick recalled. His history with Grebel runs deep – quite literally into the ground. “Right where Grebel sits is, or was, my grandfather’s cornfield,” he explained. “If you just walk up around the hill from Grebel, you'll come to a street called Old Post Road. At the end of that road is an old house – once a farmhouse – that's where my mother was born.”  

Rick reflected on the courses he took during his undergraduate years at Grebel– “I really wanted to just study the roots of Christianity and find out what I really believed.” He originally planned on earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with a History major, however he took courses from a variety of different departments and graduated with a general BA, leaving his future wide open. Rick left Grebel with rekindled belief and noted “my experience at the College kept me walking on my faith journey.” He continued his studies at Western University’s teacher’s college, as it aligned with his ongoing "passion to share and encourage.” Rick was offered a teaching position after finishing teachers' college in a place he had never heard of: Muskrat Dam, Ontario. “I checked the map, and it was way up there,” he remembered. Before starting his position, Rick was told, "'you'll be the only non-Indigenous person in the community.’” 

Rick worked in Muskrat Dam as a teacher for several years, during which he met his wife, Linda, who is Severn Cree. Together, they recognized a greater need in the community and “decided to get involved in healing work.” Rick described, “I was immersed in the culture and saw its beauty, but I also saw the damage that had taken place – the impact of residential schools and the culture that had been taken away.” 

Rick and Linda both earned master's degrees in counselling from Providence Seminary in Manitoba and began working in the spiritual healing and counselling fields. Together, along with Ray Aldred – who gave a special lecture at Grebel this past winter – and his wife Elaine, they began hosting the Inenimowin Healing Circle, something they have done for almost 20 years. The name of the Circle, Inenimowin, was chosen because it means to “talk about our hearts together.” For three days, with ten to fifteen people, Rick and his colleagues provide teachings on different topics while allowing time for the Circle’s members to find their voices. Rick expressed, “because when you’ve been hurt, or if you’ve gone through abuse, you’re silenced – you can’t find your voice.” The Healing Circles that Rick organizes are a “safe place to come and talk about your story and start to heal.” 

“The community at Grebel helped me to listen to other people that weren’t exactly like me,” Rick explained. He remembered the student population to be diverse, made up of students who had come from different places with different ideas. Rick continued, “this gave me an open heart to listen to others and learn to walk with people that didn’t always agree with me, because we had an environment where you could just explore ideas.” Rick appreciated that the Grebel community shaped his identity and gave him the ability to “walk with others from all walks of life and different ways of thinking.” 

Rick and his healing partners have continued to counsel and facilitate Healing Circles in communities across Canada and the US, focusing on gospel and holistic healing. “We’ve been doing this work with all kinds of denominations,” he shared. “It’s really meaningful work – to walk with people.” He also has a music ministry with The Rising Above Band. “I do a lot with music – I play an Indigenous flute and the guitar. It’s been part of the healing work that we do – exploring different kinds of music,” Rick explained.

Hockey has also been a big part of Rick’s personal and professional life. “I played it at Grebel, and I still play it,” he stated. It has also been a crucial element for Rick to connect with Indigenous youth. “I was up in this tiny little community teaching first, second, third, and fourth grade – so I put skates on these kids.” Rick noted that, “this was back in ‘85, so these guys are now in their forties, and some are dads.” He continued, “I still have this connection with them because of hockey. The common denominator is hockey – a stick, puck, and skates.”  

Rick advised Grebel students, “remember the roots of the College– it's rooted in faith.” He encouraged them to continue to explore faith, whether it be through courses taught or the surrounding community. He elaborated, “it’s such a rich environment, so get to know people – don’t be afraid to bug the staff. Take in everything you can, because it’ll go by quickly.” 

“I have so many different stories of how the creator has walked with us,” Rick said joyfully, reflecting on where his path has taken him. “It’s been an exciting journey in so many ways."

By Natasha Forth

Rick Martin (BA 1983) works alongside his wife, Linda, to help with reconciliation and bring the Gospel of Jesus to Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Their services are centered around the Sioux Lookout, Northwestern Ontario, and Linda’s home community of Muskrat Dam. Rick’s roots run deep in Grebel’s grounds, with his predecessors originally farming the land Grebel sits on. Rick’s spirituality was shaped by his time at the College and led him to work in healing and building continual relationships with Indigenous communities. 

Rick's story is part of Grebel's 60 Stories for 60 Years project. Check out our 60 Stories page for more articles in this series. If you would like to nominate a Grebel alumnus to share about their experiences at Grebel, please submit a nomination form.