More Servants, not Celebrities: A Tribute to Tracy Remy
Each year, the Colson Center recognizes those who have served as Colson Fellows Cohort Directors for at least five years, or who have served above and beyond the call of duty. The Colson Medal is not awarded for popularity, influence or public recognition. Rather, it is to honor persistent, persevering faithfulness.
These are lives that stand out in a celebrity-driven culture, in which visibility is prized over and above virtue, style over substance and audience size over impact. But Jesus never suggested that greatness would be found in prominence. Instead, He said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”
This year, Tracy Remy was one of the recipients of the Colson Medal. Sadly, on June 26, Tracy went to be with the Lord, passing away just weeks after learning he would be recognized. Michael Craven, Dean of the Colson Fellows Program, describes the life of this precious saint.
I first met Tracy in 2020, who, before completing the Colson Fellows Program, applied to become a Cohort Director with the hope of launching a Colson Fellows Cohort in Des Moines, Iowa. There was only one problem. We didn’t have a single alumnus in the area. Most people would have concluded the vision would have to wait.
Tracy didn’t. Instead, he joined the leadership team of our Central Time Zone Online cohort, faithfully mentoring Colson Fellows-in-Training from around the country while quietly recruiting men and women throughout central Iowa. He believed that, in time, God would provide the people needed to establish a local cohort.
Four years later, that prayer became reality. What many people never knew was that Tracy didn’t even live in Des Moines. He lived more than one hundred miles away in a small rural community. Every month, into his nineties, he drove more than two hours each way to lead his cohort before making the trip home again. At the same time, he continued serving on our Online Leadership Team.
Tracy was ninety-two years old when he passed away. But what made him remarkable wasn’t simply his perseverance. It was his character. He possessed that rare combination of humility, kindness, gentleness and steadfast love that left everyone around him feeling encouraged. He never sought attention. He simply showed up, month after month, year after year, faithfully investing in others because he loved Christ and His Church.
Last month, I had the privilege of telling Tracy that he had been selected to receive the Colson Medal for his extraordinary service. True to his character, his first response was to insist that he wasn’t worthy of such recognition. That humility only confirmed why he was.
Tracy’s story is not unique within the Colson Fellows Program. Today, more than 1,200 Colson Fellows volunteer their time to disciple other believers through Regional, Online and International cohorts, as well as Church and Academic Affiliates across the United States and around the world. After long workdays, they prepare for monthly Cohort discussions, mentor students, encourage those who are struggling and host monthly gatherings in churches, homes, classrooms and conference rooms. They pray, challenge and walk alongside fellow believers, often with little public recognition.
Most people will never know their names. But God will.
In a cultural moment captivated by influence, these men and women remind us that the Church has always been built by servants more than celebrities. The Kingdom rarely advances through spectacular moments. More often, it grows through ordinary believers who faithfully obey Christ over a lifetime. The world celebrates those who make headlines. Heaven celebrates those who make disciples.
The Colson Medal exists to remind us of that truth. It honors not extraordinary talent but extraordinary faithfulness—the kind of faithfulness that quietly transforms lives, strengthens churches and equips Christians to serve Christ wherever He has called them.
Tracy Remy’s life stands as a beautiful witness that the greatest legacy we leave is seldom measured by applause, but by the lives we faithfully invest in for the glory of God.
One day, every follower of Christ hopes to hear the same words spoken over a lifetime of quiet obedience: “Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Master.”
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Natali_Mis
John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.
