Martha Memorial Church is located in the Scuffletown Community of Pierce County near the Appling and Bacon line. Its founder and builder was Alfred Smith who named the church in memory of his mother, Martha Smith. The cemetery is older than the church having been started around the turn of the century when Alfred and Katie Smith buried their infant son in February of 1898. Before the church was bu
ilt, meetings were held on the front porch of the founder; later an arbor was erected near the present site. The building of the church began in 1934 and was completed in 1935. The dedication service took place in May of 1936 by the Rev. The church was dedicated as Martha Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South and the pastor was the Rev. Many of the sixty members helped with the construction of the church. Some donated their time and labor while others had to work for wages. These were paid in money or whatever Alfred Smith had in stock such as meat or grain. The founder gave the land and furnished all the lumber that went into the building of the church except for one cypress tree used for the shingles for the roof and the lumber for the benches and pulpit furniture. The shingles that were given from the one cypress tree came out of Big Creek. This creek was owned by a neighbor who gave the tree. After the tree was cut down, it was sawed into blocks. rendered bovine service as he pulled the blocks out to dry land with a yoke and rope. These blocks were then hauled to Hyers Planning Mill in Waycross to be made into shingles. Lumber for the pulpit and benches was donated by the Methodist Conference and a friend donated bricks for the foundation blocks. Bailey Monument Company donated a concrete plaque with the inscription of the name of the church, the date of completion and the Bible verse "God is Love" from 1st John 4:8. Martha Memorial was on the Screven Circuit in its commencement from 1935 to 1948 when it was transferred to the Alma Circuit. In 1970, the Alma Circuit was combined with other circuits and Martha Memorial became a part of the Pierce Circuit. The first preacher in the new sanctuary was the Rev. Owen; the pastor that served the longest was Robert W. Hendrix who served 14 years. Others listed in order of their service are: The Revs. Dan H. Williams, Cecil A. Abbot, J.B. Hutchinson, C.S. Eason, Byron C. Davis, Floyd S. Berger, J.A. Langford, Horace Williams, George B. Coursey, Curtis P. Cribb, Robert S. Round, Jack Arnold, H.N. Houston, Robert W. Hendrix, Rodney Taylor, Ira Dent, Garnet Lance, J. Clark Pafford, Sr., and L.W. Lester, Jr., the present pastor. Since 1974, three associate pstors have assisted in different years at Martha Memorial. Rev. Joe Frank Thigpen served the longest - 20 years. Others serving were Myra Hendrix and Irvin L. Rozier. Over the years, additions have been added to the original structure of the sanctuary: porches, kitchen, rest rooms, basement storage, a large social hall and stained glass windows. New pews and pulpit furniture have replaced the old ones inside the church and new carpet now covers the floor. The latest addition is the steeple which was installed in December 2004 and dedicated this year on January 16, 2005. At present, there is an active membership of thirty-eight with a weekly Snday worship service, Sunday School and Bible Study. Homecoming is observed annually on the second Sunday in May to commemorate the church's first dedication in 1936. Edna Smith Boatright, author
2005
