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January 23, 1980
Dr. Reid S. Thomas and
his family have just arrived
in the Mount Joy area from
Philadelphia. Dr. Thomas is
the new pastor of Chiques
United Methodist Church in
Mount Joy, having come to
the area in December of
1979.
Dr. Thomas and his wife
Carol have two children,
Reid Jr., age 14 and Carol,
age 12. Reid attends
Lancaster Mennonite School
and Carol is a student at
Lancaster Christian School.
Dr. Thomas was born in
1935 in Philadelphia. He
grew up in a Methodist
family and joined the church
when he was 8 or 9.
“lI really came to know
Christ, however, when I was
a teenager,”” Dr. Thomas
tells us. “It was at a
Methodist Church Camp in
the Poconos. This was the
real beginning of my
‘Christian life. Coincidental-
ly, my wife accepted Christ
at the same camp about
seven years later.”
Dr. Thomas attended the
Friends Central School, a
Quaker school outside of
Philadelphia. ‘It was a
twenty mile trip each way,
and I was there for five
years. Sometimes I thought
I couldn’t continue.
“Il learned much about
discipline at the Quaker
school, lessons that will stay
with me for the remainder of
Dr. Reid S. Thomas, Pastor
my life. My folks were fairly
strict, also, and although J
can remember thinking
them too strict at the time,
looking back, I am glad for
it. I think that I needed that
guiding force in my life at
that time.”’
Dr. Thomas attended
Hobart College in Geneva,
New York. Hobart was one
of three schools officially
attached to the Episcopal
faith. Dr. Thomas earned
his B.A. in economics in
1957.
“The plan was for me to
go into the printing business
owned by my father. My
older brother, as a matter of
fact, is in the business
today. I attended Columbia
University, receiving my
master’s degree in business
with a specialty in corporate
finance.
“During this time I had
drifted somewhat from the
church. Although I never
lost touch completely (and I
thank my Christian up-
bringing for that) the church
did not play the role it
should have in my life.”
Dr. Thomas had been a
member of the Air Force
ROTC while in college, and
upon graduation he was
commissioned 2nd lieuten-
ant. He began active duty in
Lincoln, Nebraska as a
financial auditor in the
Auditor General forces.
After less than one year in
Dr. Reid S. Thomas is new
pastor at Chiques Methodist
Nebraska, he was ordered to
ship out to a Turkish base.
‘““While in Lincoln, I had
become more involved with
the church, but I really
dedicated my life fully to
Christ while in Turkey.
“I met a fellow officer—a
Christian dentist—who was
helpful in directing my
thoughts back to the Lord.
I helped to get a Bible study
program going on the base,
and it was at this time that I
felt the Lord calling me into
the ministry.
“When 1 left the Air
Force in 1960, I began
studying at the Dallas
Theological Seminary. After
one year at Dallas, 1
transferred to Asbury Sem-
inary in Wilmore, Kentucky,
and graduated in 1963.”
Dr. Thomas's first church
was the East Allegheny
United Methodist Church in
Philadelphia. It was here
that Dr. Thomas met his
wife, Carol.
“One of the lay leaders
mentioned a young woman
who was ‘very nice.” We
were introduced, 1 agreed
with his remarks, and it
soon became apparent that
the Lord wished us to
marry.
Mrs. Thomas was work-
ing as a nurse when she met
her husband.
The Thomas’s were mar-
ried June 20, 1964, and
according to Dr. Thomas,
““we have spent many happy
years together.”
Dr. Thomas was at this
first church until 1966 when
he went to the Methodist
Church in Crowdon, a small
town north/east of Philadel-
phia. One year later he
transferred to the Christian
and Missionary Alliance, a
different denomination. He
helped to build a church in
Cherry Hill, New Jersey,
and about this time he also
attended an Asbury alumni
meeting.
“They were discussing
the possibility of a Doctor of
Ministry degree, and 1
became very interested in
furthering my education.”’
Dr. Thomas decided to
work for his Ph.D. rather
than a D.M., not knowing
just how much work was
involved. For the next four
years he attended school
full-time at Emory Univers-
ity in Atlanta, Georgia, the
“Harvard of the South.”
Emory is a Methodist
school.
Dr. Thomas earned his
Ph.D. in the History of
Christianity, with a specialty
in American Church History
during the late 19th Cen-
tury. He is now qualified to
teach in a university.
“I still do not know why
the Lord directed me in that
area,’ says Thomas. ‘“1 do
know, however, that the
answer will be revealed to
me, either later in this life or
in the next.”’ :
Dr. Thomas returned to
Philadelphia and Summer-
field United Methodist
Church, which was only one
mile from his first church.
He remained at Summer-
field until this past Dec-
ember when he came to
Mount Joy and Chiques
United Methodist Church.
*‘I do know that the Lord
had me prepare in various
areas for a reason, for I
know had I not been through
all that I have, I would not
have been prepared to serve
at Chiques.”’
In discussing what he
calls his ‘‘vision’”’ of a
Christian life, Dr. Thomas
feels that the overall
purpose of life is to glorify
the Lord and to serve him;
both as an individual and as
a body through the church.
This can be done in three
different ways, he says.
First, one must share the
good news of Christ with
others.
Second, one must con-
sciously want to grow more
like Christ. ‘It is not enough
to view Christ as our
Saviour; we must also see
him as Lord and Master and
allow him to guide and
direct our life. It is like a
business with new manage-
ment. | was the old manager
who did not do such a great
job, and I must now turn
things over to Christ to
manage and to own.”’
Third, one must permit
Christ to work through
one’s own life and have an
impact on society.
Dr. Thomas says he tires
of hearing the arguement of
social gver personal involve-
ment of the church. ‘‘To me,
it is not an either/or
situation. The Christian life
encompasses a much broad-
SUSQUEHANNA TIMES—Page 13
er scope; one which includes
both the personal and the
social.
‘“This is not only my view,
but also that of John
Wesley, the founder of
Methodism. It is also the
view and the teachings of
Jesus Christ.
‘““We must let the love of
Christ fill our lives through
the Holy Spirit. This is what
makes life wonderful. I will
be the first to admit that I do
not live up to Christ’s
standards 100% of the time,
but it is the sincere effort to
live a life like Christ that
makes one different.”’
Rev. Elizabeth W. Iseminger
Marietta churches to
hold ecumentical
service January 27
An ecumentical service of
Prayer for Christian Unity
will be held at Zion United
Church of Christ, Marietta,
on Sunday, January 27 at
7:30 pm.
Speaker for the event will
be the Rev. Elizabeth W.
Iseminger, Pastor of the
First United Methodist
Church, Marietta.
The Rev. C. Calvin Rex,
Pastor of the host church
will be the worship leader
for the service. He will be
assisted by pastors from the
churches of Marietta.
A fellowship hour will be
held in the church Social
Hall following the service.
The offering received
from this service will be
given to feed the hungry in
Southeast Asia.
Churches supporting this
ecumentical service include:
Assumption of BVM Roman
Catholic Church, First Unit-
ed Methodist Church, Eng-
lish United Presbyterian
Church, St. John's Episco-
pal Church, Zion United
Church of Christ and Zion
Evangelical Lutheran.
The public is invited to
attend.
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