Overheard on the Grapevine: Interview with Jimmy Cox
[/imageframe][fusion_code]PHN0eWxlPg0KLmZ1c2lvbi1pbWFnZWZyYW1lIGltZyB7DQogICAgbWF4LXdpZHRoOiA1NTBweDsNCn0NCjwvc3R5bGU+[/fusion_code][/one_full][one_full last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Two weeks ago we had a chance to sit down with one of our longtime community members, Jimmy Cox, who some of you may recognize as the Wedding Coordinator at Church of the Holy City.
Jimmy recalled some of his best memories, having served at the Church for over 30 years, and shared some of his pearls of wisdom on faith (see quote above). The full interview can be found below.
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How did you come into the Church of the Holy City community?
I have known this community for over 30 years. I was with the Church when Rev. Baxter passed away… I was friends with Jonathan Mitchell and that was 1995. I have been the wedding coordinator (covering over 300+ weddings now), but I’ve also painted spaces, coordinated events, and paid bills. Basically, whatever had to be done, I did it.
What are some of the most memorable events from your 30 year history with the Church?
I’ve known Rich Tafel for 30 years ago, and actually this is his second hiatus at the church. When I first came to the Church, he was young and I was young. And he came there and helped me do some of the building tasks.
So I was painting the Church one day, and then this young man [Rich] came and told me he was gonna come and help me paint. And true to form, he came and helped me. And so that’s how, that’s how I got to know Rev. Tafel!
What are some of the biggest transformations that you’ve seen take place since the time you started?
I wish you could have seen the building 30 years ago when I first got there. Because when I first went there, the building had been empty for a while. The last minister died, and time just stood still. And then Reverend Mitchell came and we got the Church moving. . And then with Reverend Rich, things really went to the next level.
Don’t get me wrong, with everybody who came through there, they attempted to do something. But when the ball was dropped, Rich picked it up and we did this big overhaul for the last couple of years. But if you had come there 30 years ago and saw what I saw, you would think what we’ve done now is a miracle.
Do you see yourself as part of the Swedenborgian community? How do you experience faith?
This Church is a part of my faith community. See, faith is all over. It doesn’t matter what space you are in, faith is faith. The faith is within you, not within the space, it’s within you. It’s how you treat your fellow man. It’s how you interact with each other. It’s how you go on with your day to day life that’s faith.
Faith is not in the building. We come to the building to worship, but faith comes from within yourself.
How do you see us evolving as a community?
Well, it will evolve based on what and where that new space is, and how we can interact with the community in the new space. I started this interview with bittersweet feelings, since we have achieved what I wanted to achieve for the last 30 years. All the things I wanted to do have been done.
And now we are moving to a different location, and maybe a different direction. That represents my sadness in terms of the building, but hopefully it will do some good, and will come to good use in the future.
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