Minister Mary Magdalene Matthews Kendall

Obituary For Minister Mary Magdalene Matthews Kendall

Minister Mary Magdalene Matthews Kendall was born on May 5, 1951, to the late Mrs. Leoma Miller Matthews and the late Mr. A.C. Matthews, Sr. in Thomaston, Upson County, Georgia. She is the granddaughter of the late Elder Roosevelt and Ruth Ivey Miller and the late Mr. Tony and Amanda Little Matthews. She is the eldest of eleven children.

She met Mr. Larry Kendall and in 1969 they were joined in Holy Matrimony. She was the mother of three sons, Marcus (Savannah), Brian, and Alex Kendall. She was employed or 26 years at the William Carter Company and four years at Thomaston Mills. She was employed with the Thomaston-Upson County School System for seventeen years as a Paraprofessional in Special Educations and retired on May 10, 2018.

At an early age, she received Jesus as her Lord and Savior and joined Olive Grove Baptist Church at the age of eleven years old. She began serving as an usher.

Minister Kendall accepted God's call on her life on November 16, 1990 at the Marvellous Light Holiness Church under the leadership of Pastor Mary Murray. Under her leadership, she served as assistant pastor. She preached the word of God in jails throughout Thomaston, Zevulon, and Barnesville, GA. as well as the radio stations in Thomaston and Barnesville. After several years, God led her back to Olive Grove Baptist Church. She served as secretary of the ushers, secretary of the Jr. Church and spearheaded the Mother's Day Program. Minister Kendall studied courses from the United Christian Church and Ministerial Association of Cleveland, Tennessee. She was licensed on May 24, 2007 under the leadership of the late Rev. R.L. Hodo of the Olive Grove Baptist Church and further studied under the late Rev. J.W. Respress and Rev. Ronald Antoine.

Minisher Kendall joined the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in October 2010 and was appointed assistant pastor on May 15, 2011. She played an active role in the Bethel Bible Study, Sunday School Teacher, Outreach Ministry and Bethel Women's Ministry.

In January 2016, every second Sunday at 3:00pm, she visited the Nursing Home she shared with Minister Murphy and Minister Foster as well as members of Bethel, Salem and Olive Grove Churches and they shared the word of God.

Minister Kendall was a very humble person who loved preaching and teaching God's word wherever and whenever called upon to do so. She gave God the Glory for all he has done in her life. She worked for the Lord for a long time and never gave up. She never neglected the calling that was on her life. She was presently serving as the assistant pastor and worship leader at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.

In her leisure time, she enjoyed sewing, working in the yard with her flowers and vegetable garden, watching her westerns, especially Gunsmoke and In The Heat of the Night. She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, her husband, and two sisters, Rebecca Worthy and Cynthia Matthews . On Monday, June 10, 2024, the Lord called her name and said, “Well Done My Good and Faithful Servant” come now and get your rest. Her spirit took flight and returned to her Heavenly Father. Her labor in God's vineyard is complete.

She leaves to cherish her memory three sons, Mr. Marcus (Savannah) Kendall, Mr. Brian Scott Kendall and Mr. Alex Kendall all of Thomaston, GA; two grandchildren, Tesheika Kendall, Corde'sha Kendall; God- grandchildren Jamiyah Montgomery and Shaniya Montgomery; sisters and brothers include Mrs. Leona Turner, Mrs. Rubbie Blasingame, Ms. Patricia Matthews, Dea A.C. (Clementine) Matthews, Jr., Mrs. Virginia (Sonny) Freeman, Mr. Tony (Cheryl) Matthews, Sr., Mrs. Lesa Hayes and Mr. Michael (Aubrey) Matthews; sisters and brothers-in-aw include Mrs. Donna (Martin) Johnson, Ms. Debra Napier, Ms. Angie Napier, Mrs. Ruby (Kelvin) Cox, Mrs. Linda (Rev. James) McGill and Mrs. Naomi (Terry) Hollis ; a host of nieces and nephews, cousins and many friends who will miss her dearly. We all thank God for his devoted servant, a loving mother and grandmother, sister, friend and for all the lives she has touched along the way. To God Be The Glory For All He Has Done!