Volunteer award winner: ‘The greatest reward you can ever receive is to give’

By Randy Capps

A common refrain for volunteers is the concept that it’s better to give than to receive. It’s a simple notion, but one that drives Matthew Cornett to give back.

It is for that giving spirit that he has been named 2020 Johnston Now Honors Exemplary Volunteer award.

Cornett lives in Princeton with his wife, Kerin, and two children, Isabella and Lucas, a senior and freshman, respectively, at Princeton High School. Interestingly enough, he already spends his day job serving others.

He serves as the lead pastor for Princeton Church, and it’s a job that uniquely qualifies him for his chosen volunteer efforts.

“For the past three years, I have been a chaplain here in Johnston County for the Highway Patrol,” he said. “For me, what that looks like is providing support to them as an agency. New troopers who come out, I’m there to help them through that process. Troopers who are going through life crisis, I’m there for that. Probably the most non-glorious part about it is doing death notifications when people are killed in car accidents. Which is hard.

“I know this may sound weird, but I consider it an honor to be there. To help support them. Somebody has to do it, and when you really think about it, law enforcement have to keep a certain persona as law enforcement where I’m able to be there as more of an emotional and spiritual support for people who have felt that great loss.”

Recently, when flood waters created a search and rescue situation for the Johnston County Sheriff’s Department, he reached out to Sheriff Steve Bizzell to offer to help in a similar way.

“That probably embodies what I do,” he said. “Just making sure that they understand that there’s people out there who are supporting them and backing them up in the middle of crises. Can you imagine being on a K9 unit and going through the basin, trying to find the bodies of two small children? It’s a difficult thing.”

It can be tough, but helping people is a personal passion for Cornett.

“At the end of the day, I love people,” he said. “I know a lot of people would say that, but I really feel that is a gift of mine. To be able to connect with people. To speak to people, to meet them wherever their need is at. What really drove me into chaplaincy, was really several things. Number one, my best friend in high school, Jonathan Leonard, was a Kentucky State Trooper who was killed in the line of duty. Because of that, I wanted to back up law enforcement because I know what kind of sacrifice they make for our communities. Then, the other side of it for me is just imagining how hard is it to go as a trooper and say your son, your daughter or your wife of 21 years has just passed away?

“It’s easy to be there for people during good times. It’s being there during bad times that really makes a difference.”

It sounds simple, but Cornett believes in the power of serving others.

“We need more people volunteering,” he said. “I think what I would tell anybody is that the greatest reward you can ever receive is to give. Even the scripture says that. It’s more blessed to give than it is to receive. Emptying yourself allows more to fill up. When you don’t empty yourself, there’s no filling back up. It’s literally the most fulfilling thing you can do.”

It’s a notion that he brought with him to Princeton Church when he arrived six years ago.

“Every year in May, we have an event called R3 Sunday, which stands for Reach, Relate and Revive,” he said. “On a Sunday morning, we shut church down. Don’t get me wrong, when we first did that, there were people going, ‘wait a second. That’s the Lord’s day.’

“Hear me when I say this, it’s really interesting. My goal is not to reach just Christians. There’s plenty of people that transfer from church A to church B, and you consider that church growth. I want to reach people who are looking for faith. And so, the question I asked my leadership was, ‘who’s at home on a Sunday morning?’ People who don’t go to church.

“We go out, we mow lawns in Princeton and Selma. We cut trees down, we go to nursing homes and do ministry, whether it’s singing to people or taking them cards. At Smithfield Manor, we have a center atrium that we fix up. ... Service is contagious. Getting out and loving on people is a contagious thing. I would advise people just to try it. There are tons of places to volunteer.”