On February 22, 2024, Thomas Eddy, Ministry to State’s (MTS) Associate Director for State Capitols, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Rev. Chuck Garriott, MTS’ founder and executive director, reflects below on Thomas’ legacy and contributions to the ministry work being done in state capitols across the nation. Thomas’ obituary can be found at the link here.
As Ministry to State (MTS) was beginning to fulfill its vision for reaching the United States capitols with the gospel, Thomas Eddy became the Associate Director for State Capitols in late 2015. Having retired from serving his country as a Lt. Col. chaplain in the US Army Reserve, Thomas was tasked with recruiting and providing oversight of all the MTS state ministers.
The position required the unique gift mix of discerning prospective candidates' qualifications not only to engage in a challenging ministry, but also to raise needed funding.
Over the years, Thomas spent long hours crisscrossing the United States, and on occasion, Canada, patiently interviewing men and their wives for the various state positions. The work would be daunting and in some cases, it would take years to find the right individual, yet Thomas persevered, often with his wife Lorelei by his side.
Today, eight state capitols have an MTS presence and two additional capitols are in process. To a large extent, the ministries in these state capitols are a consequence of Eddy’s work bathed in prayer.
Overseeing the development of gospel ministry in these unique settings accented not only Thomas’s gifts and persistence but also his passion and love for his Savior. The sacrificial nature of Thomas’ service was accentuated during the years of suffering from cancer treatments. Many would have given up due to the degree of misery. Not Thomas.
I, along with all my colleagues in Ministry to State and those in Mission to North America, have been privileged to know this dear brother and serve our great God alongside him.
I fondly remember how Thomas quoted passages like the following found in Philippians 1.
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Our brother will greatly be missed.
– Rev. Chuck Garriott, founder and executive director of Ministry to State.