Upon graduation from Seminary and ordination in the Presbyterian Church, Robert requested to return to active duty with the U.S. Army, but the church required all chaplains to first serve a civilian pastorate, so Robert was called as pastor to a two church field, outside of Charlottesville, VA.

As the Vietnam War heated up in 1968, the Pentagon requested Robert to return to Active Duty as a Chaplain with the rank of captain. He served for 8 months as a chaplain with a Military Police unit at Ft. Bragg, then orders came for him to report to Vietnam, where he was assigned as a chaplain with the 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles). Upon return to stateside, Robert served the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, and was pastor of a troop and family chapel and made a total of 64 parachute jumps with his unit. He and his family were moved to Brooklyn, New York where Robert attended the Army Chaplain Career Course. It was during this period that he continued to feel the leading of God from his original denomination, the Presbyterian Church, to another branch of Christ's "holy catholic and apostolic church."

The Martins left active duty, and were called as minister to a small Presbyterian Church in Gibbstown, New Jersey. During those 3 years, Robert completed a second Masters Degree at Princeton Theological Seminary.

The return to active duty for 8 more years followed, and Robert served the 1st Regiment of the 75th Ranger Battalion, the famous "Merrill's Marauders," of WWII fame and also the 24th Infantry Division, as a Brigade Chaplain with the rank of major. After much heart search and prayer, he and the family left active duty, and shortly thereafter, left the Presbyterian Church to pursue the new path that God had set before them.

They moved to Tampa and joined St. John's Episcopal Church, and Robert began the process of prearing for holy orders as a priest in the Episcopal Church. Robert is still an active priest. He and family live in Riverview, Florida just outside Tampa, where he commutes to St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Plant City two days a week and every Sunday.

Prior to her appointment as Director of Music Ministries here at St. Peter's, Ellie served as Organist/Choir Master at St. John's Episcopal Church, Tampa, for over 20 years. In that capacity she was responsible for the music of the Parish as well as that of the Parish Day School and its daily chapel services. She directed the Choir of Men and Boys and the Choir of Junior and Senior Girls. Both choirs sang weekly for the Sunday Eucharists, as well as for special programs such as Evensong and Concerts in St. John's Music Series. During her tenure there, both choirs toured England, Scotland and France several times, singing in many of their major Cathedrals and Parish Churches. The choirs also toured several US cities, including Philadelphia and Detroit.

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Ellie received her professional training at Boston University, School of Music, where she studied Organ and Church Music with the late George Faxon. Her studies in Liturgical Music and Chant were with Dr. Theodore Marier, founding Director of the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School. Previous to her work at St. John's, she served as Associate Organist, Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, Connecticut, working with Dr. Raymond F. Glover who was later to become General Editor of The Hymnal 1982. In addition to directing the choirs at St. John's, Mrs. Taylor has been guest conductor for the RSCM courses for girls in Buffalo, NY and Columbia, SC. In the summer of 1990 she assisted Barry Rose at the Valley Forge Course for Advanced Girls, held at the Valley Forge Military Academy. She previously served as Chairperson for the Southeast Region of the Royal School of Church Music in America. This coming fall season (2007) she has been invited to be a visiting guest director for both the Boy and Girl Choirs of the Cathedral of St. Paul, Detroit, MI.

Ellie is the mother of two children, Karen Taylor, who resides in Washington, DC with her daughter Katerina, and Douglas Taylor, residing in Chapel Hill, NC.