FAITHFUL SAINTS LIKE C.T. COZART

The success of the local church depends on the involvement and vibrancy of its members — the laypeople who are the heartbeat of the church.

People like C.T. Cozart.

I met C.T. several years ago. I was never his pastor, but he became a friend and a co-laborer. He was one of those people who left you encouraged any time you were around him. That’s why I was heartbroken when I heard of his recent passing from this life into the arms of Jesus. He will be missed here, but I rejoice in his eternal future.

C.T. was an accomplished man. He grew up in the Knoxville area, graduated from the University of Tennessee, and served as an executive for Chevron Corp. for 30 years.

However, his most impactful work came after his retirement. Most people know him as a servant of the Lord in his church at First Baptist Concord.

“C.T. was a quiet strength among us,” said his pastor, John Mark Harrison. “He was a leader whose kindness was as steady as his faith, and whose gentle spirit reflected the heart of Christ.”

I met him at First Baptist Church, Red Bank, near Chattanooga. He served in many capacities there, and Sam Greer, pastor of First Baptist Red Bank, said, “He made you feel like the most important person in the room. He was an innovative visionary, a true churchman, a trusted friend, and a pastor’s Barnabas.”

And he wasn’t just involved in the local church. He served Tennessee Baptists on the Nominating Committee of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and as a trustee at Carson-Newman University. During his time on CNU’s board, he was chairman at a pivotal moment, serving as a gracious but strong voice representing the interests of Tennessee Baptists.

His leadership helped lay the foundation for a major change that saw the arrival of president Charles Fowler and a renewed commitment to doctrinal fidelity.

But here’s the thing: The passing of C.T. is a clarion call to remember the laypeople who serve Christ the King and His kingdom by serving in and through their local churches.

We would have no choirs, worship teams, or instrumentalists without them. There would be no ushers, nursery workers, or small-group leaders. There would be no ministry team leaders, committee members, worship greeters, Lord’s Supper preparers, or men’s and women’s ministry leaders. And who would support Girls in Action, Royal Ambassadors, Upward Basketball, youth ministry, youth retreats, or Vacation Bible School if not for the laypeople serving in and through their local churches?

I think about these dear saints, and I think of the first convert in Europe as Christianity spread westward. Lydia was a businesswoman (Acts 16:14-16) who came to Christ and began exercising her gift of hospitality, generously demonstrating her support of Paul and his band of missionaries. She was an engaged church member who cared.

I have the great privilege of being in churches every weekend. What I can confidently say — and with pride — is that we have men and women like C.T. and Lydia woven throughout the fabric of our Tennessee Baptist churches from one end of our state to the other.

These dear saints are the backbone of our churches and the foundation upon which our churches carry out their Great Commission work in a Great Commandment environment. This is the local church. It’s not a static building that sits empty most of the week. It is the living, breathing people who leave that building and enter the marketplace as teachers, entrepreneurs, tradesmen, law enforcement officers, and so many others who take the Good News of Jesus Christ to people who need to hear it.

So, as I think about C.T. Cozart and his passing, I also think about the many others like him who quietly populate our churches. This pastor simply wants to say thank you for laboring together for our Lord in service to others. The work doesn’t get done without you.

It truly is a joy to be with you on this journey. B&R