Our Pastor’s Story
Bishop Thomas grew up in inner
city Baltimore where his grandmother was the dominate influence in his life.
“My mother was a devoted woman of God who suffered terribly from her
illness--first, losing her sight, then use of her legs. Nevertheless, she and
my grandmother insisted I spend practically every waking moment in church. My
Grandmother would pull me off the basketball court, so that I could attend
church service. She strongly believed
that my being nurtured in a disciplined church environment was the only way to
keep me focused on God.”
However, it was not until tenth
grade that Bishop Thomas seriously put God first, after a fellow student
challenged him in certain areas of his life that did not appear to line up with
the relationship he confessed to have with Christ. “He challenged me to use my
talent in communications solely for Christ. I accepted the challenge and made a
vow to live my life as a committed follower of Jesus Christ.”
In the early years of ministry,
while Bishop Thomas was gradually building a successful secular career as a
Telecommunications Account Executive, he was also touring the mid-Atlantic
Region preaching and singing with a male gospel group comprised of his
childhood friends. It was during one of those tours when he performed at
Highview Park Christian Assembly in Arlington, Virginia, where he met his
future wife.
Bishop Thomas joined the ministry
at the age of 19. After joining, the former pastor, Elder James A. Reid
(1957-1996) appointed him to serve as Minister of Music and Choir Director. He
served in the role for several years. After accepting the call to preach the
Gospel, he was later elevated to the position of Assistant to the Pastor.
On October 17, 1997, Bishop
Phillip O. Thomas was elected as the next Under Shepherd of Highview Park
Christian Assembly. After two years of pastoring part-time, he walked away from
his secular position with Bell Atlantic to devote himself to full-time
ministry, the first pastor in the church’s 100 year old history to do so.
Bishop Thomas pursued higher
education at the following institutions of learning: an Undergraduate Degree
from Washington Bible College in Lanham, Maryland with an emphasis in Biblical
Studies and Biblical Counseling, a Masters of Divinity Degree from The
Christian College and Seminary in Independence, Missouri, and a Doctor of
Ministry Degree from Florida's Jacksonville Theological Seminary.
In 2004, under Bishop Thomas’
watchful leadership, the ministry purchased a new multi-million dollar facility
in Fairfax, Virginia. The new facility
doubled the seating capacity, and included an adjacent transformational home
for women, the Mark of Excellence preschool, and ample administrative space for
part-time staff. The name of the church
was changed to Highview Christian Fellowship to accommodate the church’s new
vision and direction.
Under the ministry’s vision, “Providing
World-class Ministry Deserving of an Awesome God”, a “total man”
ministry was created to impact the body, soul, and spirit of every man and
women. “When someone comes to Highview Christian Fellowship, my desire is to
help them focus on developing their spiritual walk, so that they will not only
become a stronger Christian, but a better mother or father, husband or wife,
and a better contributor to society. I
can’t wait until our new facility is a 24/7 operation…a place where people from
every race or socio-economic background will feel loved and encouraged to
pursue a personal relationship with God.” His former Executive Assistant and a
long-time member, Carolyn June-Jackson expressed that “Bishop Thomas is not
only a gifted psalmist, but also preaches the word of God with absolute and
unshakable certainty that whoever hears his unapologetic, eloquent and
logic-driven message would surely be motivated to follow the God of this humble
servant.”
Bishop Thomas launched
thirty-five ministries, including, but not limited to: Ministers Training
Institute, the Mark of Excellence Community Outreach Center, a church website and
brand, new member orientation classes, mandatory leadership training,
"Hightimes," bi-monthly newsletter, annual conferences and retreats
for men, women, youth, children’s church, and a fully-staffed nursery.
Bishop Thomas is a past President
of the Northern Virginia Black Pastors Council. He is the Founder and President
of PTM Resources, Inc., a consulting service created to helping build strong
congregations and communities.
On April 10, 2005, Pastor Thomas
was consecrated as Bishop of the State of Virginia in the Praise Covenant
Interdenominational Fellowship (PCIF) of churches with headquarters in
Baltimore, Maryland. In this capacity, Bishop Thomas is responsible for
building a support network of Christian congregations throughout the state of Virginia,
and mentors pastors within the jurisdiction and as far away as Nakuru, Kenya,
Hyderabad, India, and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Bishop Thomas is married to Lady
Cindy and they are the proud parents of three adult children: son Phillip and
twin daughters, Brittany (Deon) and Brooke (Lawrence). They are also the doting
grandparents of seven: twin grandsons Jaylen and Jarrell, Lawrence, Jr., and
granddaughters Nyla, Chelsea, Bethany and Lacey.
Bishop Phillip Thomas - Bio Download.pdf