Meet The Pastor
Dr. Dr. Charles J. Thomas
Charles was born and raised on Merritt Island, Florida to one of America’s premier rocket scientists and a sweet Southern lady from Mississippi. He was baptized by his pastor and mentor, Dr. Adrian Rogers, who made a tremendous impact on his life. Charles has served as youth minister in some of Southern Baptist’s finest churches- Dauphin Way in Mobile, Calvary Temple in Savannah, and First Baptist Windermere, FL.
Charles was raised by a man who was both fascinated by the power of God’s Word as well as the vastness of God’s creation. He was influenced by the curiosity his father had for the development of systems and hardware that could propel men into space as well as the details for building a church that brought great honor to God. His Christian worldview was developed in the environment of real-life faith in God with the backdrop of the real-life events of NASA’s greatest achievements.
Charles began his theological training with a bachelor’s degree in Counseling Psychology. He then earned the Master of Divinity degree and also holds an earned Doctor of Ministry degree. Charles’ love for God’s Word is evident in his practical style of preaching and teaching. His story-telling makes the Scriptures come alive. Charles relates, “The Word of God is always relevant, but it is up to the pastor to pray, prepare, and deliver the message in a way that connects with his audience while staying true to the intentions of the inspired Word.” He adds, “I have very good friends who have devoted their lives and are using their gifts to share the hope of Christ through the vocation of full-time evangelism. They drop in on churches to share their story, Sunday after Sunday, event after event, and never really get the time in their busy schedules to build relationships and to see the growth and development take place in people’s lives after they leave. But this is what I live for. This is the heart of the pastor; to help build into people’s lives a solid foundation that will last a lifetime while sharing our lives with each other.” Charles’ life verse, Proverbs 3:5-6, was adopted from his childhood pastor, Dr. Rogers. “I was baptized by Dr. Rogers shortly before he assumed the pastorate at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis. He was larger than life to me when he signed my Bible and left that simple verse for me to remember. Shortly before he passed away, at one of his conferences, he signed one of his books and placed that same Scripture under his name. For someone like me who is easily amused and inspired, I thought that was awesome. ”
Charles and his wife, Leslie, a former dental hygienist, full-time mom, and daughter of a decorated Air Force flight surgeon, have four children.
Charles has been the pastor of the historic First Baptist Church of McDonough since June 2006. This church that dates back to the 1820’s has recently rediscovered itself and is growing again. Its new identity is marked by the warm and friendly spirits of its people. “Our worship services have become contagious and exciting with a little of something for everyone, together spanning five generations.” Charles characterizes it as “an old traditional church with a brand new heart and a willingness to try new things again! We’re still here and beginning to thrive again. We’re breaking into a full stride at this point and it is exciting to see what is going to happen next.”
Pastor Charles has recently published a new ebook entitled "The Antioch Approach: Why They Called Them Christians. A fresh new look at the believers who launched the church in Antioch and why they became so influential in their community".
Pastor Charles serves on the Board of Visitors at Truett-McConnell College, a Christ-centered school committed to raising up young people who have an Antioch Approach to life- one committed to making Christ known to the world!
Rarely spoken about, Charles is the former lead singer of Disciple (the original one, as he puts it), and occasionally (when they are desperate enough… again as he puts it) he sings lead vocals for a revolutionary 80’s-era Christian Rock band called The Allies, a Grammy/Dove Award winning group. This group once paved the way for today’s Christian music artists.
Charles’ hobbies include music, golf, sailing, writing, and being a dad!