Across the NPD our churches are a mix rural and urban cultures. People move from small rural towns to larger communities and bring their culture with them. People from much larger cities move to our towns for work or to retire and bring their culture with them. To lead will with this mix of cultures means we must become cultural interpreters knowledgeable in three “languages”: the Bible, rural, and urban.

Martin Giese served for 17 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Parkers Prairie, Minnesota, and since August of 1994 as Sr. Pastor of Faithbridge Church of Park Rapids, Minnesota. He is President of Oak Hills Christian College and Oak Hills Fellowship in Bemidji, MN.

Martin grew up on a farm in western Minnesota, (Appleton) and came to personal faith in Christ at age 8. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies with a concentration in Christian Education from Oak Hills Bible College (Now Oak Hills Christian College), a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Moody Graduate School, and a Doctor of Ministry in Executive Leadership from Bethel University/Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN.

In addition to his pastoral ministry Martin served for 10 years as an adjunct faculty member of the Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism – instructing church leaders in the area of motivating Town and Country Churches for evangelism. Martin also served as founder and director of the "Country Shepherds' Workshop," an interdenominational training seminar for pastors of Town and Country churches based at Oak Hills Christian College, Bemidji, MN.

In his spare time, he enjoys family events, hunting, fishing, reading, and landscaping. Martin and his wife Marcia have four children: Anna (Shane) Long, Sarah (Jeff) Donatelle, Rachel Giese, and David (Sally) Giese, and eight grandchildren.