PASTOR
REVEREND saPADA THOMAS
Rev. Sapada Thomas was born and raised in Ripley, MS as a member of Moses Chapel United Methodist Church. As a youth there, he was an active member of the choir, youth ministry, MYF president, worship leader, and member of other various ministries. At a young age he sensed God had a higher calling on his life.
In 1994 he joined First Evangelistical Baptist Church (FEBC), in Ripley MS where he became an active member immediately. However, he began to get inspiration and a sense of a Divine calling on his life from getting deeper in the Word of God and experiencing God on a deeper level. He was ordained a Deacon of FEBC in March 1996. Continuing to experience a higher calling, he surrendered into preaching ministry in December 1996. He preached his first sermon and was licensed to preach as a minister in March 1997 at FEBC. The sermon was entitled, “The Lost and Found”. He was later ordained to pastoral ministry at FEBC and pastored his first church, St. Peter’s Missionary Baptist Church in Tishomingo, MS in 1999.
Although a pastor in the Baptist denomination, Rev. Thomas was more familiar with the structure and dynamics of the United Methodist Church. Therefore, God lead him to return to the United Methodist Church in 2001 where he once again became a member of Moses Chapel U.M. Church. He led and/or assisted various ministries of Moses Chapel U.M. Church from 2001 to 2004 while going through the United Methodist candidacy for ministry process for ministers. He was then appointed as pastor of Mt. Moriah United Methodist Church in Corinth, MS. He served Mt. Moriah from 2004 to 2010. While at Mt. Moriah, he was able to provide positive leadership and grow the church spiritually through preaching and teaching, started a youth dance team (that grew to approximately 20 people), and becoming more active in the community. After serving at Mt. Moriah, he was appointed as an associate pastor to First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Tupelo, MS. His primary responsibility was to start a new worship service at Helping Hands (a food/clothing outreach of Tupelo FUMC), which was successful for approximately 2 years. This ministry served approximately 50 youth and children, but for lack of adult participation and financial support he was moved to become a full-time associate pastor Tupelo FUMC. As a full-time associate pastor, his primary responsibilities were to lead a contemporary worship service of Tupelo FUMC, called The Invitation; promote and organized the mission ministry, preaching/teaching, prayer ministry, pastoral care and other responsibility designed by the senior pastor. He also assisted with youth ministry leading on and off campus retreats, mission trips, worship, and small groups. Rev. Thomas served Tupelo FUMC from 2010 to 2015. While leading the mission ministry, he effectively organized and lead multiple mission trips to Tegucigalpa, Honduras where they built homes, fed communities, and provided school uniforms and supplies to many Honduran children. He has also traveled to Africa, preaching and teaching at various Nigerian churches. He was later appointed as the pastor of Oxford First United Methodist Church in Oxford, MS, as well as, serving as the campus Chaplain at his Beloved Rust College, in Holly Springs, MS.
Rev. Thomas is also an educated man. He received his Associates of Arts degree from Northeast Mississippi Community College (Booneville, MS) in Psychology in 2001. He earned his Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from Rust College (Holly Springs, MS) in Sociology in 2005, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Lastly, he further his preparation for Christian ministry by earning his Master’s of Divinity degree from Memphis Theological Seminary (Memphis, TN) in 2015, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and received the Hoyt Hickman award to excellence in worship liturgy.
Rev. Thomas is currently the proud pastor of Central U.M.C. in Jackson, MS. He loves preaching and teaching God’s Word. He loves leading and engaging in corporate and individual worship as God inhabits his the praises of his people. His favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
In 1994 he joined First Evangelistical Baptist Church (FEBC), in Ripley MS where he became an active member immediately. However, he began to get inspiration and a sense of a Divine calling on his life from getting deeper in the Word of God and experiencing God on a deeper level. He was ordained a Deacon of FEBC in March 1996. Continuing to experience a higher calling, he surrendered into preaching ministry in December 1996. He preached his first sermon and was licensed to preach as a minister in March 1997 at FEBC. The sermon was entitled, “The Lost and Found”. He was later ordained to pastoral ministry at FEBC and pastored his first church, St. Peter’s Missionary Baptist Church in Tishomingo, MS in 1999.
Although a pastor in the Baptist denomination, Rev. Thomas was more familiar with the structure and dynamics of the United Methodist Church. Therefore, God lead him to return to the United Methodist Church in 2001 where he once again became a member of Moses Chapel U.M. Church. He led and/or assisted various ministries of Moses Chapel U.M. Church from 2001 to 2004 while going through the United Methodist candidacy for ministry process for ministers. He was then appointed as pastor of Mt. Moriah United Methodist Church in Corinth, MS. He served Mt. Moriah from 2004 to 2010. While at Mt. Moriah, he was able to provide positive leadership and grow the church spiritually through preaching and teaching, started a youth dance team (that grew to approximately 20 people), and becoming more active in the community. After serving at Mt. Moriah, he was appointed as an associate pastor to First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Tupelo, MS. His primary responsibility was to start a new worship service at Helping Hands (a food/clothing outreach of Tupelo FUMC), which was successful for approximately 2 years. This ministry served approximately 50 youth and children, but for lack of adult participation and financial support he was moved to become a full-time associate pastor Tupelo FUMC. As a full-time associate pastor, his primary responsibilities were to lead a contemporary worship service of Tupelo FUMC, called The Invitation; promote and organized the mission ministry, preaching/teaching, prayer ministry, pastoral care and other responsibility designed by the senior pastor. He also assisted with youth ministry leading on and off campus retreats, mission trips, worship, and small groups. Rev. Thomas served Tupelo FUMC from 2010 to 2015. While leading the mission ministry, he effectively organized and lead multiple mission trips to Tegucigalpa, Honduras where they built homes, fed communities, and provided school uniforms and supplies to many Honduran children. He has also traveled to Africa, preaching and teaching at various Nigerian churches. He was later appointed as the pastor of Oxford First United Methodist Church in Oxford, MS, as well as, serving as the campus Chaplain at his Beloved Rust College, in Holly Springs, MS.
Rev. Thomas is also an educated man. He received his Associates of Arts degree from Northeast Mississippi Community College (Booneville, MS) in Psychology in 2001. He earned his Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from Rust College (Holly Springs, MS) in Sociology in 2005, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Lastly, he further his preparation for Christian ministry by earning his Master’s of Divinity degree from Memphis Theological Seminary (Memphis, TN) in 2015, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and received the Hoyt Hickman award to excellence in worship liturgy.
Rev. Thomas is currently the proud pastor of Central U.M.C. in Jackson, MS. He loves preaching and teaching God’s Word. He loves leading and engaging in corporate and individual worship as God inhabits his the praises of his people. His favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”