Chicago Theological Seminary has named the Rev. John H. Thomas as Senior Advisor to the President and Visiting Professor in Church Ministries. Elected General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ in 1999, Thomas served for the next decade as the convener of the Collegium of Officers of the UCC as well as the church’s principal spokesperson on theological and public issues and official representative in ecumenical and interfaith relations. From 1992 to 1999 he served as assistant to the president of the United Church of Christ for Ecumenical Concerns. In that role, he represented the UCC in theological dialogues, in councilor bodies including the World and National Councils of Churches, served as the ecumenical representative to the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and was instrumental in developing the 1998 full communion agreement between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and three reformed churches: the Reformed Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the UCC.
Source: Chicago Theological Seminary
In Their Words
“During my travels to partner churches around the world in recent years, particularly in countries that have endured repressive regimes, I have consistently been challenged about what I am doing to end my own country’s participation in and condoning of torture. As a leader of a church that takes seriously the concerns of its global partners, I cannot ignore this anguished plea. As a U.S. citizen and as a member of the global Christian family, my responsibility is clear: Torture must never again be practiced, condoned, or excused in my name."