Martin Street Church of God is among the oldest standing churches in the Summerhill Neighborhood in Atlanta. It is stated that in 1888 a holiness band was pioneered by Sisters in the Lord, Mary Fambro and Lena Cooper. They held meetings from house to house, on streets, and in tents, until sometime in 1890, a house located at 452 Martin Street in Atlanta, Georgia, was donated to this group. It was later remodeled and developed into a fine worship facility that seated163 people. The church remained in this same building for over 100 years.

One of Martin Street Church of God’s first Pastors was Sister Lizzie Watts. Others who served in that Pastoral role included Ministers George Clemmons, Joseph Brookins, D.S. Brooks, W.W. Taylor and George S. Wilson, the latter of whom served as Pastor for 33 years.

In August of 1984, Manuel Holston accepted his call to the Pastoral leadership of Martin Street Church of God. Prior to this, he had been involved with and led some of the other church ministries. He has been an Usher, Sunday School Teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, Trustee Board Member, Nursing Home Minister and many more.
On October 27, 1985, he was officially installed as Pastor. On April 10, 1988 he was ordained by the Georgia Ministerial Assembly of the Church of God. “From the very beginning, Pastor Holston had great visions for the church, and was able to look past the difficult circumstances that were being faced at that time, and recognize the great potential that was present there.

In January 1994, bulldozers officially broke ground, and the vision of the new sanctuary began to take form. After over 100 years at 452 Martin Street, it was God’s time for the church to move up the hill to the new sanctuary. On February 5, 1995, the vision became a reality, as the congregation moved to 148 Glenwood Avenue, located one block from the old building. The new building seated well over 1,000 people, nearly seven times more than the original worship facility. In fact, all of the pews from the old facility fitted neatly in the balcony of the new sanctuary.

Pastor Arthur Grier joined Martin Street Church of God in October 1979. He was called to ministry in October 1981, and, in 1984, he was licensed as a minister for the Church of God, Anderson, Indiana, under the leadership of Pastor Manuel Holston. He was named Pastor-Elect for Martin Street Church of God in December 2009, ordained in January 2010, and installed as the new pastor on June 6, 2010. While at Martin Street Church of God, Pastor Grier served in many areas of ministry, including Assistant Teacher for New Convert Ministry, Assistant Coordinator for Financial Peace University Ministry, Director of the Teachers’ Ministry, Finance Committee Member, Assistant Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School Teacher, Juvenile Outreach Minister, Youth Minister Leader, Athletic Director, Coach, and Math Tutor at Martin Street Christian Academy.

Pastor Grier is married to his lovely wife, Grace Dennis Grier, and together they are the proud parents of three adult sons (Nicholas, Gabriel, and Stephen), and one teenage daughter (Dawn). They also have one granddaughter (Kayla). Pastor Arthur Grier and his wife have being married for more than twenty years.

A servant and visionary leader, Pastor Grier’s vision is, “To be transformed by the Love of Jesus Christ, and through the Word of God, and, to live so that we can transform others.”
Above all else, Pastor Arthur Grier is known for his commitment to God, commitment to family, and his love for people.