About the Author: Frank A. Thomas

Now Featured at the Patheos Book Club
American Dream 2.0
A Christian Way out of the Great Recession
By Frank A. Thomas

About the Author

Dr. Frank Anthony Thomas has been an ordained minister and pastor for 26 years. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee.

Having fulfilled the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Communications, Dr. Thomas received his third doctoral degree from the University of Memphis in May 2008. He has also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, a Doctor of Ministry degree in Preaching from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts degree in African-Caribbean Studies from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Illinois, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Dr. Thomas has taken his pastoral experience, his love of African American preaching and his abilities as a scholar to McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois where he has taught Preaching in an adjunct capacity for many years. He has also taught Preaching at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. As a co-mentor, he helped to guide 16 students to their Doctor of Ministry degree at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Thomas teaches at the Doctoral level in the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program and in the Master of Divinity Program at McCormick, and has served as an Adjunct Faculty member at Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee.

Dr. Thomas wrote his first preaching method book, They Like to Never Quit Praisin' God: The Role of Celebration In Preaching, in 1997 (Pilgrim Press). In 2001, Judson Press published, What's Love Got To Do With It? Love, Power, Sex and God, a collection of essays on the intricate connections between love, power, sex, and God. The book has been so successful that a special workbook, What's Love Got To Do With It? Love, Power, Sex and God: The Workbook was released by Judson Press in January, 2002. In Spring 2002, Fortress Press released Spiritual Maturity: Preserving Congregational Health and Balance in book and workbook that set forth his thinking on spiritual maturity in every day matters and in congregational relationships. Chalice Press released his most recent book, The Lord's Prayer In Times Such as These, with September 11, 2001 as its central focus. Dr. Thomas and Rev. Martha Simmons co-edited, 9.11.01 African American Leaders Respond to An American Tragedy (Judson Press, December 2001). The book sold out of the first print run of 10,000 copies in two months.

Sermons by Dr. Thomas have been featured in The African American Pulpit, Patterns of Preaching, ed. Ronald Allen (Chalice Press 1999), and Pilgrim Press released Atonement: The Million Man March in 1996. Dr. Thomas is in demand as a preacher, speaker, lecturer, and revivalist. He has been the keynote speaker and lecturer at seminaries, universities, and Bible colleges including Boston University, North Park Theological Seminary, Christian Theological Seminary, Morehouse School of Religion, American Bible College, and McCormick Theological Seminary. In April 2003, he was inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College.

He is married to Joyce Scott Thomas. They have a son, Anthony William, and a daughter, Rachel Sojourner Thomas.

Dr. Thomas blogs at The Blvd.