The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-22
Rev. John StanIy Thomas Csiied,to
Suffolk

The Rev. John Stanly Thomas, the
able young Presbyterian minister of
this city, has been called to the pas
torate of the Presbyterian church Of
Suffolk, Va, and last evening he in
formed a Messenger representative
that he had accepted the call. Mr..
Thomas returned yesterday from Suf-
folk, where he preached on Sunday.
The Suffolk correspondent of The Nor
folk Virginian-Pilot of Tuesday says,
under the head of can Eloquent
Preacher
Rev. John Stanly Thomas, of Will
mington, n. c., preached two forceful
sermons at the Suffolk PRESBYTERIAN
church Sunday. He will be back here
again the first Sunday in October and
the churc should be congratulated on
getting his services"
In view of other appointments open
to him, Mr.. Thomas, who has been do
ing e~vangelistic work under the aus
pieces Of st. Andrews Presbyterian
church, of this city, was released on
the 1st of the month by that church.
On the coming Sabbath he will ask for
the severance of his pastoral relations
| with Topsail Presbyterian church, sub
ject to the action of Wilmington Pres
bytery at its adjourned meeting to be
held at Burgaw, on Friday, September
29th. He will ,nen ask for his dismis-
sion from Wilmington P~reSbytery to
join Norfolk Presbytery.
Mr.. Thomas came to Wilmington
March 1st to do evangelistic work I'M
der the auspices of st. Andrews church,
and for the past eight months has la
bored ~zealously and efficiently in New
Hanover, Fender and Onslow counties.
Meanwhile, to establish his relations
with Wilmington P~resbytery he was
called to n was installed as pastor of
Topsaif Presbyterian church, in Pender
county, just after the spring session of
the Presbytery. From a disorganized
body Topsail under his ministry has
grown into a live church with a CON
siderable membership, a Sunday school
of eighty members has been organized,
and the attendance at the church has
been greatly increased. He has preach
ed each month to a thousand or more
people in the field of his 1abors, and
his mo have been very popular,
several of them having been published
by the press.
born in New Bern, N. c., April s, 1871,
and is the son of the late Judge c.. f..
Thomas, who was in public life for
many years, having been secretary Of
state during Vance's administration as
wal governor, a judge Of the superior
court, president Of the Atlantic and
North Carolina railroad, and a member
Of congress. The young minister has
two brothers who are in the Presby-
terrain ministry, and his eldest brother,
the o c.. r. Thomas, is democratic
member-elec from the Third North
Carolina district to the next congress-.
The Rev. Mr.. Thomas was prepared
for college in the graded and high
schools of New Bern, and in 1880 enter
ed the University of North Carolina.
Upon being Offered a leadership in the
New Bern Collegiate Institute he taught
two years, studying theology privately
for a year., during this time, at the ex-
piratiOn of which he m~atriculated at
Princeton Theological Seminary. In
the summer of 1894, doing special work
and learning practical methods in he
Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. he
supplied Park Ridge Congregational
church and was asked to accept the
pastorate. In the fall of 1894, he be-
came a student of McCormic Theologi-
cal Seminary. He returned to the
University of North Carolina the fol-
lowing year for further collegiate
training and enjoyed two years more
in special course study there. In Oc-
tober, 1897, at Littleton, N. c., he was
examined and licensed to preach by
Albemarle Presbytery, and at Burgaw,
N. c., in April, 1898, he was ordained to
the full work of the ministry.