Gretchen Martin is an American worship leader, author, and ministry partner best known as the wife of Pastor Joby Martin, founding and lead pastor of The Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Florida.
She has been married to Joby for more than 25 years, and together they co-launched the church in 2012. Gretchen sings and writes music with the church’s worship band, Eleven22 Worship, and in 2025 released her own women’s devotional, Stand Firm with Gretchen Martin.
She and Joby have two children, JP and Reagan Capri.
Gretchen Martin at a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Gretchen Martin |
| Nationality | American |
| Residence | Jacksonville, Florida, USA |
| Spouse | Joby Martin (married over 25 years) |
| Children | JP Martin (son); Reagan Capri Martin (daughter) |
| Ministry | |
| Role | Worship Leader, Author, Podcast Co-Host |
| Church | The Church of Eleven22, Jacksonville, Florida |
| Denomination | Non-denominational (Evangelical) |
| Church Founded | 2012 (co-founded with Joby Martin) |
| Music Group | Eleven22 Worship (member since 2010) |
| Career | |
| Known For | Wife of Pastor Joby Martin; Eleven22 Worship vocalist and songwriter |
| Devotional | Stand Firm with Gretchen Martin (2025) |
| Podcast | Co-host, Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin |
Who Is Gretchen Martin?
You’ve probably heard her name if you follow The Church of Eleven22, one of the fastest-growing churches in America.
Gretchen Martin is the woman standing next to Pastor Joby Martin, not as a quiet supporting figure, but as someone with her own voice in the ministry.
She sings. She writes. She shows up on the church’s podcast and tells the truth about marriage, even the messy parts. If you’ve only known her as “Joby’s wife,” there’s more to the story.
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How Gretchen Met Joby Martin
Joby Martin grew up in rural South Carolina and came to faith as a teenager. Years later, while he was serving in ministry in Roanoke, Virginia, he met Gretchen. Not at a church service, but at a gym.
Joby has joked about it on his own podcast: he technically met her through the church he was serving, but the actual introduction happened while he was working out.
That small, unplanned moment turned into a marriage that has now lasted over 25 years.
“We’ve been married now 25 years and, yeah, man, she’s the jam. No doubt about it.” — Joby Martin, on his wife Gretchen
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Marriage to Pastor Joby Martin
Gretchen and Joby Martin have built their marriage in public, in a way. Between sermons, podcast episodes, and devotionals, they talk openly about the hard parts of staying married for decades, not just the highlight reel.
In late 2025, the couple sat down together for a Deepen podcast episode built entirely around 1 Corinthians 13, “the love chapter.”
They talked about studying your spouse over the years, fighting resentment, and what sacrificial love actually costs. It wasn’t a polished marriage seminar. It was two people describing what 25 years of real life together looks like.
That same honesty shows up in how Gretchen writes. She doesn’t wrap her devotionals up with a bow. In one entry, she admitted she gets the urge to rewrite everything so it “sounds less perfect,” then catches herself, because real faith and real marriage rarely wrap up that neatly.
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Gretchen and Joby Martin’s Children: JP and Reagan
Gretchen and Joby are parents to two kids: a son named JP and a daughter named Reagan Capri. As of late 2025, JP was 20 and Reagan was 16.
JP made headlines in the family’s own circles when he left college to pursue firefighting instead. Joby has said it took time to get comfortable with the decision, but he and Gretchen came around to being genuinely proud of their son’s choice to serve others hands-on rather than chase a degree for its own sake.
Reagan Capri, the youngest, has appeared alongside her parents on the Deepen podcast, including a Christmas episode where the whole Martin family talked about what the holidays look like in their household.
Gretchen Martin’s Role at The Church of Eleven22
Gretchen isn’t a bystander at The Church of Eleven22. She’s built her own lane inside the ministry, through music, writing, and public conversation.
Eleven22 Worship and Music Ministry
Before the church even existed, Gretchen was already making music. She was one of the founding members of what’s now called Eleven22 Worship, a band that started in 2010 at Beach United Methodist Church in Jacksonville.
When Joby and Gretchen launched The Church of Eleven22 in 2012, the band came with them and became the church’s worship ministry.
Eleven22 Worship has released several independent studio albums, including Fall On Your Altar, The Reason, and Before All Things.
Gretchen writes music and sings with the group, giving her a creative role in the church that runs parallel to Joby’s preaching.
Stand Firm Devotional and Writing
In October 2025, Gretchen launched a seven-week daily devotional called Stand Firm with Gretchen Martin, written specifically for women.
It was built to run alongside Joby’s “Stand Firm and Act Like Men” sermon series, so couples could work through the same season of teaching from both sides.
The devotional covers everything from humility to prayer to what the Bible says about marriage in Ephesians 5. Gretchen’s writing style is direct and personal.
She doesn’t lecture. She tells you what she’s actually thinking, then points you back to Scripture.
The Deepen Podcast
Gretchen also shows up regularly on Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin, the church’s weekly podcast. While Joby hosts most episodes solo or with guests, Gretchen joins for family-focused conversations, including episodes on marriage, parenting, and blended-family topics with other couples from the church.
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Personal Life and Family Values
Outside of church work, Gretchen and Joby have made a habit of sponsoring children through Compassion International, something they’ve done for over a decade as a family.
It’s a small, consistent detail, but it says a lot about how the Martins run their household: quiet commitment over public performance.
Family shows up constantly in Gretchen’s public work. Her devotionals reference her kids, her marriage, and the everyday friction of trying to live out her faith at home, not just on a stage.
Influence and Legacy
Gretchen Martin’s influence runs through two channels: music and words. As a founding member of Eleven22 Worship, she helped shape the sound of a church that now draws thousands of people across multiple campuses in Jacksonville.
As a writer, her Stand Firm devotional put her voice directly into the hands of women in the congregation, not filtered through her husband’s sermons.
She’s also become a visible example of what a modern pastor’s wife can look like: not a background figure, but a co-laborer with her own ministry lane.
Interesting Facts About Gretchen Martin
- She met Joby Martin at a gym in Roanoke, Virginia, not at a church event.
- She was a founding member of Eleven22 Worship in 2010, two years before The Church of Eleven22 existed as a church.
- Her daughter’s full name is Reagan Capri Martin.
- She and Joby have sponsored Compassion International children for more than 12 years.
- Her 2025 devotional was designed to run in tandem with her husband’s sermon series, giving couples a shared study experience.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| Late 1990s / early 2000s | Meets Joby Martin at a gym in Roanoke, Virginia; the two marry soon after. |
| 2010 | Joins the founding lineup of Eleven22 Worship at Beach United Methodist Church, Jacksonville. |
| 2012 | Co-launches The Church of Eleven22 with Joby Martin; band releases the album The Reason. |
| 2015 | Eleven22 Worship releases the album Before All Things. |
| 2023 | Joins Joby and the kids for a Christmas episode of the Deepen podcast. |
| October 2025 | Launches the Stand Firm with Gretchen Martin women’s devotional. |
| November 2025 | Sits down with Joby for a joint Deepen episode on marriage and 1 Corinthians 13. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gretchen Martin?
Gretchen Martin is a worship leader, author, and podcast co-host, and the wife of Pastor Joby Martin, founder of The Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Florida. She has been a member of the church’s worship band since before the church itself existed.
Who is pastor Joby Martin’s wife?
Pastor Joby Martin’s wife is Gretchen Martin. The two have been married for more than 25 years and co-founded The Church of Eleven22 together in 2012. They have two children, JP and Reagan Capri.
What does Gretchen Martin do at The Church of Eleven22?
Gretchen sings and writes music with Eleven22 Worship, the church’s worship band. She also writes devotionals for women, including the 2025 series Stand Firm with Gretchen Martin, and co-hosts family episodes of the church’s Deepen podcast.
How many kids do Joby and Gretchen Martin have?
Joby and Gretchen Martin have two children: a son named JP and a daughter named Reagan Capri. As of late 2025, JP was 20 years old and Reagan was 16.
How long have Joby and Gretchen Martin been married?
Joby and Gretchen Martin have been married for more than 25 years, as of 2025. They met at a gym in Roanoke, Virginia, while Joby was serving in ministry there.
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