Biography
James G. Thomas Jr., (Pastor Jim or “PJ”)
has pastored Holly Springs Bible
Fellowship since 1992.
Jim was raised in the large cities of Detroit and Chicago. He was the product of
a large mega- church ministry. He came to know the Lord his sophomore year of
high school. By his junior year, he was preaching in nursing homes in the
Detroit area. As a senior, he was recognized for his preaching abilities and won
preaching contests on a state, regional, and a national level. Jim was married
on December 17, 1983 to Jean Louise Vaughan. They were married in Virginia and
taught in Petersburg, Virginia at a Christian School. They served at Joy Baptist
Youth Camp in Whitewater, Wisconsin for 3 years. Jim served as Field
Representative and helped with the camp program. Jean taught in a multi-grade
Christian School located in Whitewater.
In 1986, they moved to Billy Sunday Tabernacle in Sioux City, IA. Jim served as
a Youth Pastor and Jean taught 4th grade. Jim led a youth group of about 60
teenagers in a church that had an attendance of about 400. On December 31, 1988,
their first son - James Gordon Thomas III (Jimmy) was born. Joshua Gregory
Thomas was born almost 3 years later on November 25, 1991. Because of the strain
on their marriage, Jim left the youth ministry in the spring of 1992 and started
filling pulpit for smaller ministries.
In the summer of 1992, he started preaching at a rural church in Northwestern
Iowa, and has been there ever since. Jean continues to teach Kindergarten in
Sioux City at Morningside Christian School (now called Siouxland Community
Christian School). Jim serves now full time as pastor at Holly Springs Bible
Fellowship. Jim has a burden for rural ministry and its unique problems. He
maintains a website for encouragement to pastors in rural ministry.
Pastor Jim served as a bi-vocational pastor for 10 years. He has worked as a
teacher, roofer, farm hand, network administrator, and was on the administrative
staff of a nursing home for 3 years. In 1999 the church left a 100 year old
building and moved into a new debt-free facility. The entire project was done by
the church fellowship. In 2003, Pastor Jim accepted a position as the full time
pastor of the church. In February of 2004, Pastor Jim led 6 men from the church
on a mission trip to Papua New Guinea.
Pastor Jim and his sons enjoy paintball, stained glass work, and old
restorations. Currently they have restored an 1890 house (which they live in), a
1946 Erie Gas pump, a 1959 Redfish finned fiberglass ski boat, and recently
completed a 1978 El Camino. When he is not working with his boys, or dating his
wife, he enjoys golf, or fishing the farm ponds of Iowa.
As far as his educational experience, Jim holds a B.A. in Bible (speech minor)
from Bob Jones University, and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grace University
(Sumna Cum Laude graduate). He is also a member of Who’s Who among students in
America’s Colleges and Universities.
My Sweetheart
My Family
2004 Mission Trip
This site was last updated on
Thursday May 04, 2006
Thank you for taking the time to visit
our website. If you have any questions or suggestions,
please feel
free to contact me at
PJ@smallChurch.com
