Dr. J. Howard Scott who has served a thirty-year ministry in Christian education, youth work, and in pastorates is retiring and taking it easy at Harriman, Tennessee. He and Mrs. Scott moved from a nine-year pastorate at the Pleasant Hill church, Owensboro Presbytery, last month and are making their home where two of their married daughters live, and where he once served a pastorate.

"Cousin J. Howard," as he has been familiarly known by thousands of young people and youth leaders throughout the church, has rendered his most noteworthy ministry in Christian education work, especially in YPGA (now NACPYF) and camp work and service on the denomination's Board of Young People's Work, Christian Education, and more recently, Board of Publication and Christian Education.

"Cousin J. Howard" who entered the ministry late in life, was ordained by Knoxville Presbytery in 1932 and served his first full time church work as a director of Christian education in the First church, Knoxville. During his ministry he has served congregations in Lebanon, Ewing, Elk, Madison, and Owensboro Presbyteries.

Dr. Scott's influence on the work of Christian education in the denomination is reflected in the fact that he has served on the boards which have planned and directed this work since its beginning. As a member of the board he has helped to bring the leaders who have shaped the Christian Education program of the church, into their places of leadership. Beginning with Clark Williamson, the first general secretary of Christian education, he also was instrumental in bringing Dr. Morris Pepper, Rev. Franklin Chesnut and Rev. Harold Davis, the present executive secretary of the Board of Publication and Christian Education, into the work.

His close identification with the work of Christian education is reflected in the fact that he has been a leader in most of the annual meetings of NACPYF.

He has always been noted for both his good judgment and humor in important meetings of the Christian education work. To a member whom he often had difficulty understanding, he frequently would say, "You're easy to love, but sure hard to understand!"

He was honored in June, 1961, when Bethel College conferred on him the Doctor of Divinity degree "in recognition of his outstanding work in the field of Christian education and the ministry."

[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, May 29, 1962, page 14]

Two long time leaders of the Cumberland Presbyterian ministry died during the first week of May. Rev. Dr. J. Howard Scott died May 7; and Rev. A. L. Thomas died at Erin, Tenn., May 3.

Dr. Scott had spent 34 years in the ministry of the church and had been a pastor during these years along with a leader in youth and camp work and Christian education.

He died at Harriman, Tenn., where he and Mrs. Scott had been making their retirement home with their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Don Prophater.

The funeral was conducted by Dr. Morris Pepper, a long time associate in the ministry and in Christian education work, with the pastor of the Wood's Chapel Methodist Church, assisting. Dr. and Mrs. Scott had attended this church during their retirement years. Interment was in a local cemetery.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Margaret Scott, and three daughters, Mrs. Mary Ann Smith, and Mrs. Don Prophater, both of Harriman, and Mrs. Jim McKee of Martin, Tenn., and several grandchildren.

He died a week before his 80th birthday.

Born near Nashville, Tenn., in 1886, he had served pastorates in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky. He served a nine-year tenure on the denomination's Board of Publication and Christian Education and also served on the earlier boards of Christian education of the denomination. Bethel College conferred on him the Doctor of Divinity in 1961.

His best-known ministry in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was in the area of youth work. He began as an interested leader of the youth work in the 1920's, even before he was ordained to the ministry and continued a vital interest in this area of work to the end. He was a leader in organizing the former Young People's General Assembly (YPGA, now NACPYF) and has attended more meetings of it as a leader than any other person. He began attending the meetings about 1930 and continued through the mid-1950's. To thousands of Cumberland Presbyterians who attended the youth meetings he was familiarly and affectionately known as "Cousin J. Howard." Mrs. Anita Johnson, who is associated in the Cumberland Presbyterian Book Store and who was the second president of YPGA, remembers Dr. Scott as one who was indeed a pioneer in establishing youth work in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, May 24, 1966, pages 3 & 14]