James Samuel Thomas

Who was James Samuel Thomas?

James Samuel Thomas was an American bishop in The Methodist Church. When elected in 1964, he was the youngest Methodist Bishop to date.

His first appointment as Bishop was in Iowa, where he served from 1964 to 1976, becoming the first black bishop of the North Central Jurisdiction of The Methodist Church. He last served as the Resident Bishop of the Ohio East Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church from 1976 until 1988, retiring in 1988.

In 2002, the Iowa Senate passed a resolution honoring Bishop Thomas. In its citation, the Senate extended

"its thanks and congratulations to Bishop James S. Thomas and his family for their service to The United Methodist Church and to the State of Iowa, and acknowledges the work of Bishop James S. Thomas for the advancement of civil rights in Iowa and in the nation."

The resolution was presented to Bishop Thomas on his birthday in the same year.