Martha Green, Connecticut church founder, dies at 102

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Friday, February 20, 2026

Martha V. Inexperienced, a beloved Connecticut pastor who based St. Mary’s Unison Free Will Baptist Church in New Haven in 1973 and championed different ladies to observe in her footsteps, died on Valentine’s Day on the age of 102.

Inexperienced’s passing was introduced by the church’s present pastor, Gershom Bey, in a Feb. 16 assertion revealed on Fb.

“Apostle Green completed her earthly assignment and entered into eternal rest on February 14, 2026, when her true Valentine, our Lord, called her name,” Bey stated.

“Her life was a testament to the power of faith, prayer, and unwavering service to the Kingdom. While we mourn her physical absence, we celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will continue to impact generations to come. We earnestly solicit your prayers for the Green family and our entire church community during this time of bereavement.”

In November 2019, the road nook of Shelton Avenue and Ivy Road in New Haven was formally named “Pastor Martha V. Green Corner,” WTNH reported.

On the time, Inexperienced had been preaching at her church for effectively over 4 a long time and was acknowledged because the oldest dwelling pastor nonetheless serving within the New Haven space.

Inexperienced was born on April 5, 1923, in Greenville, North Carolina, in response to the New Haven Unbiased. She migrated to New Haven in 1953 together with her husband, Willie, the place she discovered work at Yale New Haven Hospital. She later labored within the laundry room on the Veterans Administration hospital in West Haven.

She turned a member of Pitts Chapel in New Haven in 1953. She would preach her first sermon on the church in 1963, then went on to start out St. Mary’s Unison Free Will Baptist Church a decade later. The church would change areas from Grand Avenue to Goffe Road to Kossuth Road to Shelton Avenue through the years.

Inexperienced’s niece, Andrea Singleton, informed the publication that her aunt’s passing was a “bittersweet” second for each the church and the New Haven group.

“She was a mentor to so many,” Singleton stated. “She was a trailblazer.”

She additionally famous that Inexperienced was the final surviving sibling amongst her 10 brothers and sisters, and she or he remained energetic to the very finish.

“She still preached once a month,” stated Singleton, who famous that she was additionally in good well being and “in her right mind.”

A heartwarming video posted on YouTube reveals Inexperienced sharing how she will get artistic together with her morning prayer to God.

On Tuesday, Danny Bland, the lead pastor of Revival Church in Hamden, Connecticut, recalled in a put up on Fb how Inexperienced gave him his begin as a preacher at simply 8 years outdated.

“My mother was saved under her ministry. She opened the door for me to preach my very first sermon at just 8 years old. And she never stopped reminding me of the calling on my life. She is a major part of my spiritual formation and journey,” he recalled whereas referring to Inexperienced as a “legend.”

“Whenever she called me to speak, I would drop everything to be there. Several months ago, I had the privilege of preaching for her church, and I told my entire congregation to come. I wanted to publicly honor the woman who helped shape the man and the ministry I’ve become.”