Thomas Waldo Cox

Thomas Waldo Cox was born on July 29, 1934 in Picayune, Mississippi to Waldo and Hershell (Frierson) Cox. During the depression, life was already hard for his family; and when Tom was seven years old, his dad was severely injured and unable to ever work again. Tom started selling newspapers, shining shoes and working other odd jobs at Camp Shelby (US Army base) just to help feed his younger siblings.

At 14, he convinced his mother to lie about his age and he joined the Mississippi National Guard. In high school, he found much pleasure playing basketball. His senior year, when the basketball season was over, he quit school to go to work.

At 17, he made the most important decision of his life, to receive Christ as His Savior, a decision that would both change his life forever and for the first time, give him a true purpose for living.

In 1952, he knew that God had called him to preach and he began taking classes at Clarke College in Newton, Mississippi to complete his high school education. The next year, he enlisted in the army and served three years on the Czechoslovakian border in Germany. He quickly moved up the ranks to Sargent E7.

Returning to the United States in 1956, he immediately married Irma Jean Jones from Meridian, Mississippi. Utilizing the GI Bill, he was able to enroll at Samford University in Birmingham where he graduated in 1961. He attended classes full-time, worked full-time at Hayes Aircraft, pastored a church on the weekends and became a father to Sheryl Kay, Carol Faye and Thomas Waldo, Jr. Life was busy at the Cox home. Following graduation, he took his first full-time pastorate in southern Alabama and enrolled and graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1966 with a Masters in Religious Education. His youngest daughter Ethel Gaye was born shortly before his graduation.

Tom had the heart of an evangelist and every church he pastored in Alabama, Missouri, Florida and Louisiana experienced rapid growth. He stepped out in faith and became a full-time evangelist establishing the Tom Cox Evangelistic Association. He was invited to preach revival meetings in churches throughout the southeastern part of the United States.

With three teenagers and a six-year-old, he decided to return to the pastorate in Tulsa, Oklahoma so he could be at home more – especially for his three high school aged children. This church saw more than 1,000 new believers in Christ over the next 40 months, and Tom soon found himself in demand to return to full-time evangelism.

He and his family traveled together as Tom preached and the family provided the music. They became known as the gospel music group, “Coxes Army.” They recorded three albums before his oldest children were married. Following this, the Coxes experienced a tragic divorce. Tom thought ministry was over for him, but God had other plans.

In 1981, Tom married the love of his life, Kay Amyx, the daughter of Boise, Idaho mayor, Jay Amyx. Together they began ministering as evangelists in churches in all 50 states. Shortly after this new beginning, God showed Tom and Kay that He wanted them to lead everyday people to do extraordinary things in all parts of the world. They began leading groups of Christian doctors, preachers, children’s workers and Christian men and women of all walks of life to more than 125 countries of the world, conducting medical clinics, children’s ministry events and preaching evangelistic services and crusades. Tom Cox World Ministries was born. Through this cooperative ministry approach, they proclaimed the Gospel to millions of people throughout the world.

It is estimated that Tom preached nearly 20 thousand sermons in his lifetime. He was honored in June 2018 by the national Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists for serving as a full-time evangelist for 50 years.

Tom was preceded in death by his sister, Patsy Cox Murray and his brother, Archie Ray Cox. He is survived by his wife, Kay of Mountainburg; four children, Kay Jordan of Nogales, Arizona, Carol and (Neal) Moon of Mountainburg, Tom Jr. and (Tammy) of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and Gaye and (Eric) Ramsey of Fort Smith; 17 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and his special K-nine companion, Prissy.

A celebration of life will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, September 14, 2018 at Concord Baptist Church in Van Buren under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren, AR.

The family will visit with friends from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 13, 2018, at Concord Baptist Church, 6105 Alma Hwy, Van Buren, AR.