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The Rev. John Thomas is president and general minister of the United Church of Christ, headquartered in Cleveland, OH.

Member of:

United Church of Christ

Representative of:

United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH

The Rev. John H. Thomas is General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. He was elected at the General Synod in Providence, Rhode Island, 1999. He serves as one of five officers of the Church comprising the Collegium of Officers which guides the national ministries of the UCC. As General Minister and President Rev. Thomas is the presiding officer of the Collegium, is charged with the care and nurture of the spiritual life of the Church, is the principal spokesperson of the General Synod, and is the official representative of the Church in ecumenical and interfaith relations.

Rev. Thomas was ordained in 1975 and served as Associate Minister of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Cheshire, Connecticut from 1975 through 1981, and as Minister of the First United Church of Christ in Easton, Pennsylvania, from 1982 through 1991. In 1991 he was appointed Assistant to the President of the United Church of Christ for Ecumenical Concerns. In that role he represented the UCC in theological dialogues and conciliar bodies, served as the ecumenical representative to the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and was instrumental in the development of the full communion relationship between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and three Reformed churches, the Reformed Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the UCC.

Rev. Thomas is a graduate of Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (1972) and Yale University Divinity School (1975). He studied at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland in 1988 and is the author of numerous articles on ecumenical issues. He has received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, Minnesota, and Yankton College in South Dakota.

He is married to Lynda Thomas who is a librarian in Shaker Heights, Ohio where they live. He has two sons, Andrew, born in 1978, and David born in 1982. He is a member of Pilgrim Congregational UCC in Cleveland.

Latest Content by The Rev. John Thomas

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Conversation with John Thomas - A 30 Good Minutes Interview

The Rev. John Thomas (UCC)
Hosts Lillian Daniel and Daniel Pawlus in conversation with John Thomas, who says the people who have the most impact are those who speak with great power and courage but underneath have a gentleness that reflects their deep faith and sense that they belong to God.
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The Virtue of Gentleness - The Rev. John Thomas on 30 Good Minutes

The Rev. John Thomas (UCC)
The Rev. John Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, explores St. Paul's admonition to "let our gentleness be known to everyone." Can gentleness cut it in a highly competitive world where pre-emptive strikes are the name of the game in foreign policy and personal relationships? How might gentleness offer healing in the world?
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Other Recent Content by The Rev. John Thomas

August 31, 2009

The Rev. John Thomas: Thoughts on Health Care

The Rev. John Thomas (UCC)

The Rev. John Thomas, general minister of the United Church of Christ, takes a personal look at the issue of health care.

June 30, 2009

Dr. John Thomas: Immerse Yourself

The Rev. John Thomas (UCC)

The UCC's general minister and president, the Rev. Dr. John Thomas, takes a fresh look at the stories of Jonah and the Ethiopian eunuch, and the call to evangelism.

October 10, 2004

Gratitude Is More Than Saying Thanks

The Rev. John Thomas (UCC)

The Rev. John H. Thomas is general minister and president of the United Church of Christ. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

September 05, 2004

No Joy for Those Unwilling to Accept the Cost

The Rev. John Thomas (UCC)

The Rev. John H. Thomas is general minister and president of the United Church of Christ. Rev. Thomas talks about half-hearted living and leading a full life in Christ.

August 01, 2004

When God Won't Stop Loving, We Shouldn't Either

The Rev. John Thomas (UCC)

The Rev. John Thomas, president and general minister of the United Church of Christ, Cleveland, Ohio, explores the concept of love as revealed through the prophet Hosea.