1991 Dennis McCoy

Crooner – is that how it would be spelled? Dennis was – and even though distant now – and will always be one of my best friends. Though it has been several years now since we could be in geographic fellowship, the years that we lived prior, sealed our destiny as best friends. We lived through breakdowns, mountaintops, dire sadness over lost souls, joy at the souls finding the Lord. Dennis and I were quite a pair doing youth ministry.

Dennis was the first guy who ever told me that I could sing – everyone else (including me) shuddered as I began. But many hours were spent teaching me golden oldies from the mountains like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and “They That Wait Upon the Lord.” Dennis had some magic and charisma that allowed him to carry all of us and the kids from contemporary songs to the oldies in worship. The kids ate it up.

Week after week, Dennis not only sang but was more than my right hand man as we faced the challenges of youth ministry. He never missed Wednesdays and Sundays. He was always ready to play. I never even had to question whether he was going to be there, for his passion was equal to ours. Dennis taught well, counseled solid, opened his home every Wednesday and Sunday to the kids. He was a true friend, confident and minister. We only had one disagreement in all the time I knew him and we raised our voices – funny, I remember it happening but I can’t remember the topic.

I am not sure that I realized how blessed I was to work with a man like Dennis until after he was gone. I moved on to pastoral work and he moved to his own youth pastorate in his home town. Boy, was he happy to go back and boy, did we miss him and Beth! Dennis had a passion and work ethic that I was simply blessed to share in but that should be the basic requirement for any leader. Dennis understood friendship. Dennis did ministry because of God. Dennis was one of the best Support Staff (those that can do your job but are called instead to support it with their excellence) that I have ever met. I am better for knowing him and I am better because of his ministry to and with me. We learned much together in the trenches.

Here’s to you Dennis (clink, clink).