President and CEO
Paul Martin
Paul Martin is businessman, social entrepreneur, and writer. At each phase of his diverse career, he has championed the values of personal responsibility, compassion for those in need, and a belief that all people share a calling to make our world a better place.
Paul started his career as a commercial real estate broker, working for one of Orange County’s largest firms. He was later recruited to head business development for John Wimber’s Vineyard Music. His tenure included extensive business travel to Western Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa. He later accepted a two-year work assignment to head the organization’s European operations in London, where he served as Managing Director and fostered the publication of the Vineyard Music’s first foreign intellectual properties.
Upon his return to the U.S., Paul amalgamated his professional experience with his deep passion for philanthropy and Christian ministry. He founded the U.S. chapter of Soul Survivor, a UK-based international Christian youth campaign that modeled servant leadership, personal integrity, and the importance of giving back to society. He was responsible for hosting tens of thousands of young people at U.S. conferences, many of those being at-risk teenagers. Additionally, he mobilized college students and young adults in Orange County to invest in servant leadership projects and the mentoring of at-risk children. During this time, he worked closely with local law enforcement, city government, and thousands of volunteers. In addition, he launched Soul Survivor Church, serving as senior pastor.
Realizing his deep interest in political philosophy and the human condition, he returned to university. His studies focused on ethics, epistemology, and the influences of virtue and truth within society. He received two degrees in philosophy, one from UCLA, and another from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University.
Paul was recruited to serve in senior pastoral roles in two local Anglican churches, where his focus was family ministries, pulpit teaching, and executive leadership. For two years he advised the late Dr. Robert H. Schuller in his pursuits of the intersection of faith and science. He later returned to the nonprofit sector, serving in senior roles for the March of Dimes and one of Orange County’s largest homelessness prevention agencies, Family Assistance Ministries.
In recent years, Paul has worked as a freelance technical writer. He also writes a blog, with a number his articles appearing in local newspapers, including the Orange County Register. He recently started a campaign working with religious leaders including pastors to help bridge the divide between Christians and Muslim Americans.
In January of 2018, Paul formally launched a campaign for United States Congress, running in California’s 48th district against 30-year incumbent, Dana Rohrabacher. His campaign — focused on the human rights abuse of Vladimir Putin, particularly his suspension of adoption of Russian orphans to America — won him the endorsement of international human rights crusader, Bill Browder and chess grandmaster, Garry Kasparov
Paul’s human rights based campaign received attention from a number of national media outlets, including Forbes Magazine, MSNBC, NPR, The Daily Beast, NBC, The Atlantic, The Observer, CNN, The American Interest and the LA Times, as well as other local media outlets.
Paul’s volunteer work has included the tutoring of at-risk children and coaching football, basketball, and soccer for his children’s sports teams.
Paul is an avid cook, reader, bass player, and is a Bikram yoga enthusiast. He is an Orange County native. He and his wife, Gina, have 5 children.
