Marty Cates

I was born and raised in The Commonwealth of Virginia. I remember fondly hunting and fishing with my father in Dinwiddie county, and lunch with him at the Dixie Diner in Petersburg (I still enjoy those pursuits today.) I graduated from Colonial Heights High School, and then received my undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech, a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in History and Religion. After graduation, I moved to Norfolk, VA, and worked in wholesale distribution for a mutual fund company. During this time I married my college sweetheart, Meredith. She moved to Norfolk with me and was a teacher in the public school system of Chesapeake, VA. I eventually grew tired of the financial industry and found myself spending more of my time planning and leading the youth ministry of the church I was attending. Eventually, it was this work and the session of Trinity Presbyterian Church of Norfolk, VA that lead me to pursue my M. Div. from Covenant Seminary. After seminary Meredith and I took a call to serve as Dir. of Student Ministries at Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church in Lecanto, FL. Since 2016, we have been serving at Sycamore. The Lord has called our family to leave Sycamore and lead a church plant in Amelia County, beginning April 2023.

Meredith and I have been blessed by the Lord with 3 daughters. As a family, we enjoy Virginia Tech sports, art, movies, good food and drink, reading, walks together, baking, music, dance parties, and more.