Ralph Cox passed away on Feb 22, 2017 at the age of 87.
Ralph was unique in so many ways but one thing about Ralph and his wife Bertha
that was so amazing to me was their longevity as church members. Ralph and
Bertha joined the old Grace Baptist Church on Swope Ave in 1962. Shortly
thereafter he was ordained as a deacon and remained as the church treasurer
until 1987. Between membership at Grace and now at our little church they spent
over 50 years in church. That’s an admirable record.
The attitudes of people about church membership changed
dramatically during their lifespan. For folks like Ralph you just didn’t cast
aside your commitment to a church and move on to the next one. The very
stability of Ralph was such a constant for our little church that many people
just felt better about their church because he was there. Most folks don’t
dedicate themselves to a single church like this anymore. Some do, of course,
but not as many as used to be.
There can be a variety of reasons why a person attends a
certain church for their entire spiritual lives but regardless of the nuances
of those reasons one thing is clear: they loved it. They heard what was taught,
they heard what was sung, they met the people, and they decided it was home. After
making it their home their presence made it a home for others. Such loyalty and
stability is a rare character trait for any Christian. This does not mean Ralph
was perfect or some sort of saint; he was not. He was just ‘ol Ralph who was ready
to help when you needed his expertise. He was always ready to pray (so quietly
that only the person standing next to him knew he was done). He kept the church
books meticulously; it always balanced as far as I know. He put in the phone
lines for the church (he and another member were retired from the phone company).
He was just solid: old solid Ralph always in his pew until the day came his
mind could not absorb the routine anymore. The best words I can use for Ralph
are: solid – stable – consistent.
No one will ever take the place of members like Ralph. We
are in a different generation and a different time when it comes to church
membership. Change is inevitable within any church but there was something
comforting about knowing Ralph was always there. When you look up “church
member” in a dictionary there’s a picture of Ralph there.
We’re not the best church you’ll ever attend, nor are we
the worst. Good, solid Bible teaching develops guys like Ralph: good, solid men
of faith. Thanks Ralph for your years with the church; they were not wasted. You
will be missed, Ralph. All churches need guys like Ralph; I’ve had the
privilege of knowing several “Ralph’s” in my ministry and I feel so fortunate
for having known them.
Good church member. Ralph. We’ll see you again someday
sitting in that pew in heaven; when I get there I’ll be ready to preach and
sing for you. It will be my privilege.
