Church History
Celebrating a Proud Past, a Prayerful Present and a Promising Future!
Madkins Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America was first named “Poplar Hill.” The name originated as the officers of the church were trying to decide on a building site for the church when a dove flew to a poplar tree on a hill. After that dove flew away, another dove flew over the same tree. The officers decided to build the church on that hill and named the church, “Poplar Hill.” The church was located in the Mullins Flat community in southeast Huntsville.
The first member of the church was Sister Mary Magdeline Francis Pruitt. She was baptized July 31st,1892. The oldest living members are Mother Roberta King and Sister Ophelia West. In 1941, Redstone Arsenal bought the Mullins Flat community and the members of the Church were separated. Sister Maude Burney and her sister, Arbelia Burney, were determined to keep the church going. The Huntsville city buses were on strike at the time and Sister Maude Burney asked her son, Oda Wade, to hitch their mules, Matt and Rock, to a wagon and take them into Huntsville where they met with Deacon Vert Wade and Willie Lee Gaines. Together, they went to the Madison County Courthouse to see about purchasing the property on which to build a church.
Following that inquiry, they got the money from the “Poplar Hill” congregation to purchase the building at 304 Blake Street in Huntsville, Alabama. The property belonged to Frank and Wyatt Madkins. The congregation decided to name the church after the Madkins brothers; thus the church relocated to its present location, 2403 Oakwood Road, Huntsville, Alabama.
Previous pastors have included Rev. Henry Johnson, Rev. Walker Willis, Rev. Surrey Mitchell and Rev. Lewis Powers. Rev. Robert L. Blackburn faithfully served as pastor from September 1946 until his home-going in December, 1980, for a total of 34 years. He was succeeded by Rev. Walter V. Pride, Jr. who pastored from May 1981 through October 1988.
On April 30th, 1989, the Rev. Endia J. Scruggs was installed as pastor of Madkins Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church, becoming the first woman called to pastor an organized church in the Huntsville Presbytery. When Rev. Scruggs began her pasturage in 1989, there were 163 members on roll. Under her pastorate, the Madkins Chapel Church family has been blessed with over 800 members and a new sanctuary. An education center and a fellowship hall was completed in January 2000. Dedicatory services were held March 26, 2000. In February 2012, the Madkins Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America achieved another milestone in the history of its church having completed paying off of the mortgage 3.5 years earlier than scheduled. The Mortgage Burning Celebration was held on April 20-22, 2012.
“This was the Lord’s doing: it is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalms 118:23
