To honor Martha Childress for her dedication in playing the piano or organ every week for 76 years, beginning at the age of 16, Cross Roads Baptist Church in Dacusville held a drop-in reception for her from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 21, 2024.

“When you quote that number, it almost seems surely not, but that’s right,” Childress said, when speaking to The Pickens County Chronicle at the reception. She said that she grew up at Cross Roads Baptist Church. “Mother and Daddy brought me as a child,” she said.

“Her faithfulness is such an incredible example,” her Pastor, Phil Henry, told The Chronicle.” I wish we had lots more like her. She’s been doing what God’s gifted her to do, and she’s been doing it faithfully for all these years. A woman like her is irreplaceable, but God will bring up somebody behind her, and we’ll keep going. We love her. She’s such a great example.”

Roger Dail, Associate Pastor for Music and Family Ministries, told The Chronicle, “I am just honored to be a part of this celebration this weekend. I’ve been in ministry for 40 years and never had an opportunity to honor someone with such longevity. And, as I’ve told Martha so many times before, she is an example to younger believers who are growing up in the church, especially instrumentalists, about commitment and dedication and steadfastness. And I think she’s a model of that. And she is modeling what Christ would want us to do, to the younger generation. I have nothing but great words and kind words. She is a delight to work with, and I just love her, and I appreciate her so much.”

Dail’s wife, Julie Dail, also a musician who plays piano, commended Childress for her faithfulness. “She always did it out of the goodness of her heart, because she loved the Lord,” she told The Chronicle. “I do believe music is a calling, and I also feel called in that way, so I’ve been playing for a long time, different churches where we’ve been ministering, but I admire her for the many years of faithfulness to the Lord, because, honestly, that’s really who we’re serving.”

Patsy Finley told The Chronicle that Childress, at the age of 16 in 1948, began playing piano for the church, but later switched to playing the organ and has been playing continuously for 76 years. “That’s a long time,” she said. “She knows everybody, and everybody just loves her. Martha and my mother-in-law were very good friends. My brother and sister-in-law (Dale and Ann Hampton) love her to death. Martha has always been so special to me. Even in high school, I always felt so close to her, someone that you could just go to and talk, if you needed to. When Gary and I married 10 years ago, she gave me a wedding shower. That impressed me, that someone like her would think of me and want to do that for me.”

Betty Cox formerly played the piano and played duets with Martha playing the organ. “They said they could harmonize so well,” Finley said. 

“I just love her,” Cox told The Chronicle, speaking of Martha. “We’ve had a lot of good times together, practicing.” Cox added that she had written in four notebooks the dates they had played duets together. She found her notebooks and made a copy of one from 1971 and gave it to Childress. “I thought she would enjoy looking at that,” she said.

“We used to have so much fun together, didn’t we?” Cox asked Childress.

“Yes, we did,” answered Childress.

“We practiced many an hour,” said Cox.

“I’ve been knowing her all my life, and I’m 77,” Dennis Bauknight spoke of Childress to The Chronicle. “My grandmother Hendricks called her Martha Looper till the day she died, even though she married Bill Childress. Martha played the organ, and Betty Lou played the piano. You ought to hear them play together. It’ll melt your heart, just beautiful. They played together for over 40 years. She’s a wonderful person, and Bill Childress was a wonderful fellow,. But I’ve been knowing Martha a long time. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.”

“Martha Childress is a wonderful lady, 92 years old and going strong,” Childress’ neighbor, DeNear Roach, told The Chronicle. “She calls me when she needs something, and I call her when I need something. It’s a pleasure to know her.”

“I grew up with Martha and her husband, Bill,” Becky Clark told The Chronicle, as Clark’s parents were friends of the Childresses since Clark was a young child. “We’d go on vacations together and have the greatest time ever – and there’s nothing like Myrtle Beach with Martha and Bill.”

“Or a football game,” said Finley, as she noted that Childress attends all of the Clemson Tigers football games.  

“Or a football game,” Clark agreed.

“And just both of them were a godly couple,” added Clark. “She’s a godly woman. It’s just wonderful being in her presence.”

Childress loved the reception her church held for her. “I appreciate it,” she said, “but I don’t feel worthy of it.”

“Well, we know you are worthy of it,” said Finley. “You know how we feel about you.”