UNDERHILL, VT, January 06, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Arnold Isidore Thomas, M.Div, D.Min, has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Rev. Dr. Thomas, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Jericho, Vermont, was called to his position in 2017 after serving as an interim pastor for Charlotte Congregational Church in Charlotte, Vermont. In this capacity, he has earned local renown for his efforts in paving a path to acceptance for people from all manner of backgrounds. Aside from his work in the church, Rev. Dr. Thomas functions as a moderator for a monthly webinar, "Racism in America," which seeks to address issues and concerns that affect African Americans in Vermont and throughout the country. He previously spent several previous years in the classroom as an adjunct professor of religion at New York Theological Seminary and as both chaplain and adjunct professor at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
Rev. Dr. Thomas previously held appointments as minister for education, ecumenical and interfaith relations at Riverside Church in New York City, the senior minister at Wilton Congregational Church in Wilton, Connecticut, as pastor at both the First Congregational Church (now Faith United Church of Christ) in Little Rock, Arkansas, and First Congregational Church in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Additionally, he served as a conference minister of United Church of Christ in Vermont, where he was notably recognized as the first African American denominational leader in the state.
During his earlier years of ministry in Arkansas, Rev. Dr. Thomas helped establish two programs, the Arkansas Conference of Churches and Synagogues as its vice president, and the Criminal Justice Ministry of Arkansas as its president. He later co-founded and served as the president of the Human Rights and Relations Task Force of Northern Berkshire County, the president of the Vermont Ecumenical Council, the co-founder of Toastmasters at Riverside Church and the co-founder of the Center for the Study of Science and Religion at Riverside. Furthermore, Rev. Dr. Thomas co-founded the Network for Human Understanding, which was formed to generate sustainable and empowering communities across all economic environments.
Supporting his community, Dr. Thomas is a member of Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, an organization dedicated to serving and empowering the American descendants of slavery. He is also active with Clemmons Family Farm Inc. in Charlotte, which is recognized as of the largest African American owned farms in Vermont and serves as a nonprofit organization providing African American and African diaspora history, arts and cultural programs to the public.
Rev. Dr. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies and philosophy from Hiram College in Ohio, and a Master of Divinity from Yale University in Connecticut, where he notably won the Wolcott Calkins Award for excellence in preaching. Following this accomplishment, he received a Doctor of Ministry from Hartford Seminary (Hartford International University for Religion and Peace) in Connecticut. When he was ordained to the ministry, Rev. Dr. Thomas' father, LeRoy Chadwick Thomas, who was also a pastor, honored him as the keynote speaker.
In 1998, Rev. Dr. Thomas received a Martin Luther King Jr. Peacemaker Award from the Human Rights and Relations Task Force of Northern Berkshire County. He also won an award for his work as the chair of the Criminal Justice Ministry and a public speaking award upon graduating from Yale Divinity School. Notably, his church in Arkansas received the Governor's Volunteer Appreciation Award for its work within the community. Additionally, Rev. Dr. Thomas was the recipient of, and included in, the African American Jubilee Bible upon becoming the first African American to serve as a state denominational leader and for the incredible work he did for the state of Vermont.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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