Already celebrated as one of Tullahoma’s best pastors and known for his Easter sermons as seen in the pages of The Tullahoma News, Martin Shannon Nutter is now being celebrated by his congregation as he marks his 35^th year as Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Tullahoma.

Pastor Nutter began his service at the local church in 1988 and will be officially celebrated by his congregation this Sunday as he marks the milestone.

Prior to coming to Tullahoma, Nutter was the Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in South Charleston, W.Va., from 1979-83 and Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Altus, Okla., from 1983-88. He received a direct Presidential appointment from President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and was commissioned as a Reserve Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force and retired in 2013 after 29 years of service.

He was born Jan. 31, 1953 in Oak Ridge. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1975 and his Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 1979. He then served an internship from 1977-78 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Enid, Okla.

He married to the former Linda Graves of Oak Ridge in 1976. They have four children and 10 great-grandchildren.