Ted Thomas Sr.: Difference between revisions
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name = Bishop Ted Thomas, Sr.| |
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http://www.nctcogic.org/BTT20.jpg |
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image = [[Image:]] | |
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religion=[[Church of God in Christ]] | |
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See = [[Historic First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Virginia]]|Virginia]] | |
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Title = Jurisdictional Prelate| |
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Period = [[1984]] — [[Present]] | |
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consecration = [[1984]]| |
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Predecessor = Bishop David C. Love| |
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Successor = [[Incumbent]] | |
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post = Administrative Assistant, VA#1 | |
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post = Superintendent, Central District, VA#1 | |
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bishops= none| |
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Ordination to Ministry = [[1959]] | |
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date of birth = {{Birth date and age|1935|10|19|df=y}}| |
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place of birth = [[Raeford, North Carolina]]|}} |
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== Family == |
== Family == |
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Revision as of 14:23, 12 December 2008
Bishop Ted Thomas, Sr. (born October 19, 1935 in Raeford, NC) is an American cleric with the Church of God in Christ who rose to national prominence as prelate of the Historic First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Virginia, COGIC.
Family
His parents were the late Elder and Mrs. Simuel Thomas, Sr. He was born last of seven children. His marriage to Mother Charletta C. Thomas has resulted in six children, Ted, Jr., Christopher, Marc, Charles, Jonathan, and Reuben. He is grandfather to several grandchildren. Many consider Bishop Thomas to be their spiritual father.
COGIC Clergyman
Licensed to preach in 1959, Ted Thomas, Sr. served the Church of God in Christ in varying capacities as minister of music, pastor of several churches in Virginia, State Sunday School Superintendent, and Administrative Assistant to Bishop David C. Love before being elevated to Jurisdictional Prelate in 1984. After his consecration as a bishop, Bishop Thomas was elected as Secretary of the Board of Bishops, COGIC, Inc; a position which he held for 20 years. In addition to heading VA#1, Bishop Thomas serves as pastor of New Community Temple COGIC[1] (the headquarters church) and St. Stephen's COGIC.
As jurisdictional prelate, Bishop Thomas has expanded the reach of the VA#1 and has grown the jurisdiction's portfolio from seventeen churches in 1984 to more than 50 churches to date. These churches are a far north as Manassas, VA [2], as far south as South Hampton Roads [3], and as far west as Roanoke, VA. [4]
Bishop Thomas and New Community Temple COGIC
In 1967, Elder J. L. Clifton (New Community's founder) relocated to Salisbury, Maryland. Elder Ted Thomas, Sr., was appointed to lead the fledgling congregation. Under Elder Thomas’ leadership, the membership grew necessitating the construction of an additional wing to the modest sanctuary. With a limited operating budget, Elder Thomas oversaw and participated in the construction. Following his appointment to the bishopric in 1984 and the designation of New Community COGIC as the Jurisdictional Headquarters, we added another wing to the sanctuary; again, overseeing and participating in construction. The jurisdiction further grew under Bishop Thomas' leadership necessitating a third addition to the Jurisdictional Headquarters.
By 2002, the Jurisdiction had long outgrown the New Community sanctuary, and, as recourse, held our Holy Convocations in one of the nearby public school auditoriums. In 2002, Bishop Thomas began plans for a new edifice to house the Historic First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Virginia which would be dubbed, New Community Temple COGIC and Christian Center. He built the Christian Center first, tore down the original church facility, and finally erected the contemporary state-of-the-art Temple.
In addition to the high-capacity Temple, this new campus boasts, a fully functional television and media studio, a multi-use Christian Center with seating for several hundred, a commercial kitchen, a full-service publishing facility, and a community gymnasium.
Education
Bishop Thomas is a graduate of the following institutions: Norfolk State University, Bachelors of Science Degree in Mathematics; Hampton University, Masters of Science Degree in Mathematics; Trinity Hall College, Doctorate of Divinity Degree. He completed further studies at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois; Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia; University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; Virginia Polytechnic University, Blacksburg, Virginia; William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Virginia.
Secular Accomplishments
Bishop Thomas is an accomplished educator and retired from a career with Norfolk Public Schools where he was a math teacher and eventually a school administrator. Bishop Thomas also serves on the Advisory Board of the Bank of the Commonwealth in Virginia[5] and is co-proprietor of the Carver Memorial Cemetary in Suffolk, VA.
References
3. http://www.heraldofhiscomingcogic.net
4. http://www.ntccogic.org/firstjurisdiction.htm
5. http://www.bankofthecommonwealth.com/about_directors.php