Captain America by day, Batman by night… and pastor on Sundays. He’s not your ordinary Super Hero, but alas, is cool nonetheless.
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He’s real, and he’s passionate about God, Christianity, his family, his community, Disney, Marvel comic heroes, and Star Wars. He’s the whole package – at least that’s what his kids, wife, and congregation think.
Who is he? He is Todd Thomas, pastor of Sebastian Christian Church (SCC) and Vero Beach resident. His enthusiasm for life is shown through his appreciation of all that he does in the community and for the community that he has grown to love and adore.
“For a beach-side town, we have done a great job of keeping a close-knit community and small-town feel,” Thomas said.
Originally from Minerva, Ohio, Thomas has lived in Vero Beach for nearly a decade. After serving as a student minister between Ohio and Florida for 16 years, he was called to pastor at Sebastian Christian Church in 2010. Being from Ohio, he is obviously a Cleveland Browns fan, and doesn’t hide his football pride.
“My goal has always been to make a positive impact wherever I have lived,” Thomas said. “I try and accomplish that through support, community engagement, involvement, and goodwill toward the community that SCC ministers to.”
Among Thomas’ other past accomplishments and calls to action, he served as a military policeman during Operation Desert Storm. He worked inside a prisoner of war compound with over 13,000 Iraqi prisoners. Though Thomas was already pursuing a career in ministry prior to his call to serve his country, he said the experience overseas brought perspective to better understand how Jesus saw broken, hurting people and was moved by them.
“My mission and working with the POWs caused me to feel a deep sense of compassion in regards to hurting people,” Thomas explained. “In this case, many (of the prisoners) were forced to be there at the threats of their lives and the lives of their loved ones.”
Thomas is a devoted husband to his wife, Cathy, since 1995. The couple have three children together: Kyler, 15, Kyrra, 10, and Kalley, 7. Kyler – who, like his father, is an avid Marvel comics fan – is a freshman at Sebastian River High School, and he towers over his 5’10” father in height by 5 inches.
Cathy and Todd stay busy between their careers their church, their kids’ extracurricular activities, and a commitment to serving in their community and inspiring others through Christianity. Oh, and of course, as annual pass-holders, semi-frequent trips to the Magic Kingdom to visit Mickey, Minnie, and friends.
“I am highly relational and so I like working with people and trying to help them the best that I can,” the pastor explained. “God has done so much for me in my life, and out of appreciation for that, I want to point others to Him.”
And that, he does. He and other leaders at SCC welcome anyone and everyone in the community, or anyone visiting from out of town, to join in their weekly church services. Their church atmosphere boasts a friendly, welcoming environment, and has activities and groups especially devoted to children of all ages, and a group that is catered specifically to teenagers.
Thomas speaks to his church family as just that – family. In moments of seriousness, he is well-spoken and shows deep compassion, while on the flip side, he has a keen ability to add humor during parts of his services, which keeps members of all ages deeply intrigued.
“I try to be as practical, relatable, authentic, and transparent as possible in order to connect with the listeners as well as try to meet them where they are at in their faith journey,” Thomas explained. “My goal for them is to be challenged enough by what I’m saying to apply it in their lives so that life transformation can happen for them.”
Sebastian Christian Church is located at 190 Day Drive in Sebastian. You can reach Todd Thomas during office hours (or as he said, anytime), or find SCC on Facebook and Twitter or through their website at www.sebastianchristian.org. The church’s phone number is (772) 388-0410 or reach them via email at info@sebastian.church.
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