Derek W. H. Thomas is a Reformed pastor and theologian known for his teaching, writing and editorial work. He retired in December, 2023 as the senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina. He is currently serving as interim preacher at First Presbyterian Church in Yazoo City, MS. He continues as distinguished visiting professor of systematic and historical theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia.
Thomas is originally from Wales. In 1978, he completed his ministerial training from Reformed Theological Seminary in the US before moving on to receive his PhD from the University of Wales, Lampeter, with a thesis on Calvin's preaching on the Book of Job. He was ordained into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland, and served as a pastor of Stranmillis Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland for 17 years, before returning to the United States in 1996 to serve as the minister of teaching at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi.[1] In 2011, he became associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina,[2] and was appointed senior pastor on August 11, 2013.[3] He has written and edited more than 27 books.[1] He has also produced a volume for the Biblical commentary series published by Banner of Truth Trust and Evangelical Press. In 2004, Derek Thomas became editorial director for The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and the editor of its e-zine, Reformation 21.
Personal Life
Thomas is originally from Wales, being born in Llanybydder in 1953. He was one of four children - with siblings David, Anne and Denis - to David John and Mary Rose Thomas.[1] He has been married to Rosemary Iris Thomas since 1976. She is from the Limestone Road area of North Belfast.[4] Together they have two children: Ellen and Owen, and two grandchildren: Hannah and Daniel.[1]
He was raised as a nominal Christian, but not attending church. He came to faith in Christ while reading John Stott's book 'Basic Christianity'. He can pinpoint his conversion to 11:30pm on December 28 1971 while back home with his parents.[1][4]
Plagiarism
In 2018 P&R Publishing withdrew Derek Thomas' commentary on the Book of Acts after allegations of uncredited use of pastor Sinclair Ferguson's sermons on Acts. They noted that "the lack of attribution resulted from unclear note-taking more than a decade before the commentary on Acts was written, and we believe it does not reflect intentional misuse on the part of the author."[5]
The church leadership at Thomas' church backed Thomas in a statement of support.[5] Reformed Theological Seminary, which Thomas works for as a professor, also defended him, saying, "an RTS committee reviewing the Acts incident had cleared Thomas of 'any knowing and intentional plagiarism.' He [Ligon Duncan] added that Thomas will continue to teach. 'From the standpoint of RTS,' Duncan wrote, 'the case is now closed.'"[5]
A commission of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Catawba Presbytery found that Derek Thomas had in fact copied from the sermons of Sinclair Ferguson without proper attribution, but that
"none of the interviews and investigations of this Committee have revealed any credible evidence that Derek Thomas intentionally engaged in the practice of plagiarism." Accordingly, Thomas was admonished in writing by the Catawba Presbytery for "unintentional plagiarism".[6]
Strength For The Weary, Reformation Trust Publishing, 2018.
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Guided Tour, Ligonier Ministries, 2014.
How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home, Reformation Trust Publishing, 2011.
Acts: Reformed Expository Commentary, P&R, 2011 (withdrawn by the publisher[7] in November 2018 due to "unattributed content from sermons by another pastor").
What Is Providence?, Basics of the Faith series, P&R, 2008.
