Melody Baptist Church

As the eldest daughter of Elmer and Anita Cox, Julie has literally grown up, “in the ministry.” At a young age, Julie was participating in church services by singing solos, acting out monologues, (written by her mother), and later, playing her violin for special music.

Julie, and her sister were trained in church music by their parents and inherited their musical abilities. They performed special music for their father’s Evangelistic meetings for about a 5-year period. This included singing, and playing various instruments: Julie (mainly) violin and some piano, while her sister, Charity, played the piano and accordion.

Julie took over the sewing for her Mom when she was 12 years old, and found that she loved it. Her Grandma Cooper taught her the art of sewing with fabric remnants. She has been making most of their wardrobe ever since.

Most recently, Julie has become the church tech person: setting up, recording and uploading messages for internet viewers. In addition, she sings solos and plays her violin during services, accompanied by her mother on the piano. She enjoys teaching groups to play the “Melody Bells” and creating a bell choir for church performances. She recently held a Melody Bell class in a nursing home. The residents really loved that!

She is now also an entrepreneur, as an accomplished seamstress, starting her own sewing business and selling online and at Farmer’s Markets. She says, “I enjoy taking scraps and making beautiful things.”

Anita Cox is very creative and has many talents, which she effectively uses in support of her husband’s ministry. She attended college and studied to become a concert pianist in her youth, but decided to use her skill at the piano and with composing and arranging sacred music to serve God in the ministry with her high school sweetheart, whom she subsequenty married upon Elmer’s return from Bible college.

She is a terrific church pianist, arranging her own piano solos, as well as arranging choir and special music to fit whatever talent was available at the churches where they ministered. She enjoys producing a program using individuals with little or no previous training or talent.

Anita is also a gifted writer, composing and editing newletters for the ministry. In them, she often wrote articles of interest to Christian women and girls. Once she wrote a serial drama called, “Krisis in the Kitchen”, a novel of sorts, chronicling many of the everyday situations of young families, with which church members may identify and from which they may benefit.

She routinely combined her talents for arranging music and writing to produce several “contatas” (a program including a story acted out and narrated, and interspersed with supporting musical numbers).

When her girls were young, she wrote Christian monologues based on Bible stories, such as “Ruth and “Boaz” and Rhoda, the servant girl who heard Peter knocking on the door after God had sent an angel to release him from prison. They were simple enough for her girls to perform in church. She also wrote arrangements for duets and solos, which the girls performed in their Dad’s pastorate or on the road, during those times when the family was in evangelism.

Elmer Cox is a seasoned pastor with nearly 50 years of dedicated experience in ministry. With a profound commitment to spiritual leadership, he has played a transformative role in the lives of countless individuals and families within his congregation. His pastoral journey is characterized by a passion for preaching, teaching, and fostering community engagement, all of which are vital components of his ministry philosophy.

In addition to his preaching responsibilities, Elmer has been heavily involved in various outreach programs that aim to serve the local community. He believes that a church should not only be a place of worship but also a catalyst for positive change in society. He has a desire to train future church musicians. Under his leadership, initiatives have been launched, focusing on youth mentorship and family support, embodying the church’s mission to encourage strong family values.

Pastor Cox is also gifted musically, with a great voice and talent with the violin and harmonica. He once taught harmonica lessons to young children in his ministry.

Pastor Cox’s commitment to his faith is mirrored in his personal life. He is married to his devoted wife, Anita, with whom he shares a loving and supportive partnership. Together, they have raised two wonderful children, both daughters: Julie, the eldest, and her younger sister, Charity. Elmer takes great pride in being an active and involved father, cherishing moments spent with his family and seeking to instill in them the values of kindness, integrity, and a strong spiritual foundation.

In essence, Elmer Cox exemplifies what it means to be a servant leader in the church community. His extensive experience, combined with his unwavering dedication to both his congregation and family, positions him as a respected figure within the ministry. He believes that through faith, love, and service, individuals can find purpose, and he continues to inspire those around him to embark on their own spiritual journeys.