b. March 1936

by Mary Louise Burress, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Winston-Salem, NC, 2016

Martha Ann McBrayer was born in Winston Salem and grew up in the First Presbyterian Church. In the mid 1990s she began going to St. Paul’s on a regular basis. Two dear friends, Barbara Douglas and Bill Carr, were instrumental in encouraging her to join the church and she was confirmed in 2001.

Since then, St. Paul’s has become an essential part of Martha’s life. She has served on a number of committees including Senior Adults, the Bookshop guild, and Social Action. When the Rev. Mike Bradshaw came to the church as Director of Outreach, he set up the Faith and Justice Committee (formerly known as Social Justice) on which Martha served. Through this group the church strives to educate our membership and others about issues in the community, the country and the world. In other outreach activities, Martha has spent nights at the Samaritan Inn helping to serve dinner and breakfast; helped with Habitat builds; participated in prison Ministry worship services and served a term on the Vestry.

According to Martha: “St. Paul’s has brought me closer to God through community and worship. Here I’ve felt welcomed and cared for by the clergy, staff and dear friends. Thanks be to God!”