Pastor Eddie D. Smith, Sr., Lead Servant

On June 8, 1946, Eddie D. Smith, Sr. was born into a cross-generational, 25-member three-bedroom household at 755 Pebble Street.  He was the first-born of the late Mattie Mae Myers Smith and Rev. Jack Smith, Jr., of Macon, GA. When Pastor Emeritus Eddie Smith, Sr. transitioned, he had been united in holy matrimony to his beloved wife, Mrs. Martha K. Smith since November 26, 2000.

It was evident early in his life that he not only had a gift of music and song, but also leadership.  He grew up in Beulah Baptist Church and was immersed in music, in church and quartet songs of the Morning Star Quartet, in which his father, great uncle Matthew Brown, Sr. and Robert Thomas were founders.

Pastor Smith graduated from Ballard-Hudson High School in Bibb County. He received a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in media services at Ft. Valley State College (now University).  He completed additional courses and had a ravenous appetite for professional development courses and classes in church and religious studies.

Sometime around 1954, he and several cousins around the same age followed their call to start up their own Quartet, The Morning Star Juniors. This, and other activities in the church and neighborhood helped to set the stage for something that had not been anticipated—his call to preach, April 26, 1969 and to pastor one of Macon’s historical churches, Macedonia Baptist Church in July 1972.

Being a man of many gifts he combined his passion for teaching, leadership, quartet singing, lining hymn songs with the call to preach, pray and listen to God’s people.  God added to his gifts of being a visionary, the unique ability to reach people through his love for music by becoming a recording artist.

The gift of being a visionary manifested itself in many ways inside and outside of the church family.  One of these was the belief and commitment to live in the world but not be of a world of financial indebtedness.  This message of empowerment from within evidenced itself repeatedly.  He led the church to burn mortgages for capital projects for construction/renovation and church-community outreach programs such as the Macedonia Family Life Center, which served as a model for other churches around the state of Georgia.

He served as a City Council member from 1975-1978. He served 2 terms on the Bibb County Board of Education.  Pastor Smith also served as a board member of the United Way of Macon, the American Cancer Society Macon Ministerial Association and other ministerial and community affiliations.

He was preceded in death by two children, Edwanna Stephens (Roderick Stephens) and Alvy Smith. He leaves to cherish his memory are his lovely wife, Mrs. Martha K. Smith, who graciously cared for him; children, Ms. Charlitha Smith, Dr. E. Dewey Smith, Jr. (Andrea), Minister Corey V. Smith, Classica Billingslea and Newton Ray Billingslea, Jr.; two sisters, Dr. Jacquelyn Smith-Crooks, Ms. Tresa Smith-Cullins; 17 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren, and 1 great, great grandchild; 3 sister-in-laws, Sarah Young (Eugene), Ida Orr and Pearlie Causey and a host of cousins, other relatives and friends.

Pastor Eddie D. Smith, Sr. will be remembered for living his life by a song he often quoted: “If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain.”

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Pastor Eddie D. Smith, Sr., Lead Servant, please visit our floral store.