G. Ernest Thomas Bio

G. ERNEST THOMAS BIO AND WRITINGS BIOGRAPHY 1907 Born February 16 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, the son of George and Hannah (Beddows) Thomas 1910 Came to the United States of America to live in Manchester, New Hampshire 1915 Became a naturalized citizen. 1925 Graduated from Pinkerton Academy, Derry, New Hampshire. Assistant Director, summer Boy’s Camp, Old Lyme, Connecticut. Began studies at Boston University School of Religious Education. 1926 Preached in summer at Swiftwater and Benton, New Hampshire Methodist churches. 1927 Pastor for the summer at Claremont, New Hampshire Methodist Church. 1928 Appointed pastor, Brookline Methodist Church, Brookline, N.H. Ordained Deacon and received On Trial, New Hampshire Methodist Conference. 1929 Received B.R.E. degree, Boston University School of Religious Education. Appointed pastor, Trinity Methodist Church, Manchester, N.H. June 19. Married Mildred Winslow Klein in Brookline, N.H. September. Began studies at Boston University School of Theology. 1930 Ordained Elder and received into Full Membership, New Hampshire Methodist Conference. October 18. Daughter Joan Alice born. 1932 March 29. Son Norman Ernest born Received S.T.B. degree, Boston University School of Theology. Began Th.D. studies, Boston University School of Theology. 1934 February 14, son Donald Markham born Appointed pastor at Baker Memorial Methodist, Concord, New Hampshire 1935 Awarded Th.D. degree, Boston University School of Theology 1936 Encounters with Bob Barton gave impetus to begin writing. 1938 Traveled to thirteen countries including the Holy Land and the Soviet Union. 1939 Appointed pastor of St. Luke’s Methodist, Long Branch, New Jersey Became a ministerial member of the New Jersey Annual Conference 1940 December 11, daughter Carol Ann born. 1941 Appointed senior pastor, Haddonfield Methodist, Haddonfield, New Jersey 1943 Developed a program of stewardship which gained national recognition. 1947 Elected delegate to the General Conference of The Methodist Church. 1949 Thomas Building dedicated at the Haddonfield Church. 1950 Appointed Director of Spiritual Life, Board of Evangelism of The Methodist Church. Moved to Nashville, Tennessee 1951 Lectures delivered in Little Rock, Arkansas, published as America Whither Bound? 1952 America Whither Bound? Presented by a Texas layman to all members of Congress. 1953 “Little House” erected at our summer home in Monroe, New Hampshire. 1954 Led Board of Evangelism mission to nine South and Central American countries. 1955 Conducted the conference at Kenlake, Kentucky which launched a national Spiritual Life Movement 1956 Led sixty Methodist ministers in a mission to Great Britain, followed by seminars in Paris and Berlin. 1959 Preached for an eight-day mission in Belfast, Ireland. 1960 Preached for one month in major cities in Argentina. 1961 Delivered the Denison Lectures in Denison, Texas. These were published as Jesus and Discipleship. 1962 Appointed Senior Pastor at First Methodist Church, Birmingham, Michigan. Became a ministerial member of the Methodist Detroit Annual Conference. 1963 Elected delegate to the North Central Jurisdictional Conference. 1969 Dedication of the Thomas Parlor and Thomas Fellowship Hall of First Methodist Church, Birmingham 1970 Membership of First United Methodist Church of Birmingham reached 4,000. 1972 Retired from pastoral ministry; became Minister Emeritus at First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Michigan. Honored with original musical play titled “Earnestly, Tenderly.” Moved to Nashville, Tennessee. 1972-78 Conducted Spiritual Life missions throughout the United States. 1978 Returned to Birmingham, Michigan. Became Personnel Consultant for the F. Joseph Lamb Company. 1979 Wrote “The Margin of Life,” a public service ad which won a national award. 1984 Took trips to Texas, California and Florida to interview outstanding golfers, and wrote of how they overcame physical handicaps. 1989 Moved to Twin Towers, Cincinnati, Ohio. Honored by The Foundation for Evangelism as one of forty outstanding Methodist leaders in evangelism in the period 1949-1989. 1993 March 1. Died in Cincinnati, Ohio. WRITINGS BOOKS 1937 Trixie: Stories of the Circus as Told to G. Ernest Thomas by Bob Barton. New York: E. P. Dutton. 1938 Old Covered Wagon Show Days. New York: E. P. Dutton. 1944 An Adventure in Stewardship. Chicago: General Board of Lay Activities, The Methodist Church. 1946 To Whom Much Is Given: The Stewardship Questions of Jesus. New York: AbingdonCokesbury. What Jesus Was Like: Or Aspects of the Physical Life of Jesus. Great Neck, New York: Pulpit Press. 1948 How to Live Your Faith. New York: F. H. Revell. 1950 Faith Can Master Fear. New York: F. H. Revell. 1951 Holy Habits of the Spiritual Life. Nashville: Tidings. A Primer for Churchmen. Nashville: Tidings. 1952 America—Whither Bound? Nashville: Tidings. 1953 Spiritual Life Through Tithing. Nashville: Tidings. 1954 Rediscovering Christmas. Nashville: Tidings. Spiritual Life for Methodist Christians. Nashville: Methodist Evangelistic Materials. 1955 Six 20th Century Mystics: Their Devotional Practices. Nashville: The Upper Room. Spiritual Life in the New Testament. Westwood, N.J.: F. H. Revell. 1955? Tell America about Christ. Nashville: Tidings. 1956 Steps to the Christian Life. Nashville: Tidings. 1958 This Is Christmas: A Theology for Christian Laymen. Nashville: Tidings. Twenty-five Ways to Assimilate New Members. Nashville: Tidings. 1959 Daily Meditations on the Seven Last Words. Nashville: Abingdon Press. Through Christ Our Lord: Sermons on the Mission of Christ. Nashville: Tidings. 1960 Personal Power through the Spiritual Disciplines. Nashville: Abingdon Press. A Pocket Book of Discipleship. Nashville: The Upper Room (compiler) 1961 Jesus and Discipleship. Nashville: Methodist Evangelistic Materials. The Care and Keeping of Church Members. Nashville: Tidings. 1962 Abundant Life through Aldersgate. Nashville: Tidings. 1963 Disciplines of the Spiritual Life. New York: Published for the Publication Association by Abingdon Press. 1964 The Meaning of the Resurrection in Christian Experience. Nashville: Tidings. 1966 Holy Habits and You. Nashville: Tidings. 1973 Christian Growth: The Cultivation of Congregational Life. Nashville: Tidings. 25 Ways to Assimilate New Members. Nashville: Tidings. 1974 … with Wings as Eagles: 1974 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1975 the Power of Prayer in Business and the Professions. Nashville: Tidings. Prayer in Today’s World. Lake Junaluska, N.C.: The International Fellowship. The Way: 1975 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1976 A Touch of the Master’s Hand: 1976 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1977 Where God Meets Man: 1977 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1978 Written in the Wind: 1978 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1979 You Can Be Sure: 1979 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1980 Sing a New Song: Spiritual Adventures in the Psalms: 1980 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. Mayan Summer Revival. 1981 The Added Dimension: 1981 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. Mayan Summer Revival. 198 2 Secrets of Prayer: The 1982 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. Mayan Summer Revival. 1983 In Times Like These: The 1983 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. Mayan Summer Revival. 1984 The Search for Fulfillment: The 1984 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1985 Inherit My Mountain: The 1985 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1986 Faith Is the Victory: The 1986 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1987 Triumph of the Spirit: The 1987 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1988 Words of Life: The 1988 Mayan Summer Revival. San Antonio: The Mayans. 1991 Faith for All Seasons. Dayton, OH: UTS Press. 1998 Adventurous Living: Selected Writings. Edited by Norman E. Thomas. Dayton, OH: UTS Press. ARTICLES, CHAPTERS IN SYMPOSIA, AND PAMPHLETS 1947 “Instructions for Conversational Guides: Leading a Conversation Group in a Local Church. Evanston, IL: General Board of Lay Activities, The Methodist Church. 1951 “When You Meet a Stranger.” Coronet, vol. 30, no. 1 (May 1951), 152. 1956 “Assimilating New Members.” Nashville: Tidings. “How to Conduct a Spiritual Life Mission.” Nashville: Tidings. 1956? “The Spiritual Life Fellowship Plan.” Nashville: Tidings. “What Shall I Do Now?” Nashville: Tidings. 1958? “Christ In Christmas.” Nashville: Tidings. 1958 “Meeting God through the Best-Loved Chapters in the Bible.” Nashville: The Upper Room. 1959 “Devotional Writings.” Christian Action, vol. 14, No 3 (March 1959): 43. 1959 “Steps That Save a Man,” in Andrew Watterson Blackwood, Evangelical Sermons of Our Day: Thirtyseven Foremost Examples of Bible preaching. New York: Harper, 1959. 1960 “How to Conduct an Effective Prayer Circle in the Home,” in A Year of Evangelism in the Local Church, Gordon Pratt Baker and Edward Ferguson, eds. Nashville: Tidings. “Prayer and Personal Power,” Christian Action, vol. 15, No. 10 (October 1960): 6-29. “The Twelve.” Nashville: Methodist Evangelistic Materials. 1960? “Getting the Most Out of Worship.: Nashville: Tidings. “God Calls and We Answer.” Nashville: Tidings. “How to Be a Fellowship Friend: A link between the church and new members. Nashville: Tidings. “Salvation through Christ.” Nashville: Tidings. “Six Steps to Christian Faith.” Nashville: Tidings 1962 “Science and religion: a partnership,” in John Clover Monsma, Science and Religion: Twenty-three Prominent Churchmen Express Their Opinions. New York: Putnam, 1962. 1972 “A Twentieth Century Miracle: Story of the Upper Room.” Nashville: The Upper Room. 1975? “Managerial Growth through Leadership Development” (3 booklets). Pontiac, MI: Leadership Development. 1977 with William McKee Aber and Jerry L. Schmalenberger. Why Belong to the Church?: a collection of dynamic evangelism sermons. Lima, Ohio: C.S.S. Publishing Company. SERMONS Preached and Published at First Methodist Church, Birmingham, Michigan “And Many Believed on Him There.” “Certain Grounds for Faith in God” (Sept. 25, 1966). “Christmas Is a Dream Come True” (Dec. 25, 1966). “Eight Days That Shook the World.” “The Escape of the Soul” (May 22, 1966). “Eternal Life Made Real” (1966). “Faith in an Hour of Crisis” (May 29, 1966). “Forward in the Faith.” “Forward to the New Day” (Sept. 8, 1968). “The Glory of Small Things.” “How Beautiful Are the Mountains.” “Keeping a Sense of Wonder.” “Keeping Life in Proper Focus.” “The Layman’s Ordination” (Feb. 5, 1967). “Living above Your Worries.” “The Margin of Life.” “Reaping Life’s Rewards.” “Science and Faith.” “Shacks on Skyscraper Foundations.” “The Spirit of the Age.” “Steps that Save a Man.” “The Summons of a Holy Quest.” “What I Know about God—for Sure” (Aug. 10, 1969). “Why Hold Fast to Faith.” MEDIA 1973 with Walter J. Harrelson. “Jesus.” [Tidings Tape of the Month, April 1973]. Audiobook on cassette. Nashville: Tidings.