John H. Thomas

Who is John H. Thomas?

The Rev. John H. Thomas was the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the Reformed tradition. Elected in 1999, he served as one of five officers of the UCC who comprise the Collegium of Officers, which oversees national ministries. As General Minister and President, Thomas was the premier spokesperson for the United Church of Christ, officially representing the UCC in ecumenical and interfaith relations. His term ended in October 2009.

Chicago Theological Seminary has appointed Thomas as a senior adviser to the president and visiting professor in church ministries, effective January 1, 2010.

On Aug. 16, 2010, the United Church of Christ's Collegium issued a statement reporting that Thomas and his wife Lynda were in the midst of a divorce and that and Thomas "is now in a committed relationship with a woman with whom he worked while he was general minister and president."