The Foundation for Evangelism funds the Harry Denman Fellowships for scholars in the United Methodist tradition who are pursuing doctoral studies in evangelism or related disciplines. The fellowships encourage and equip persons who express a desire to teach evangelism in United Methodist schools of theology or institutions of higher education. A Foundation for Theological Education (AFTE) partners with The Foundation for Evangelism to administer these fellowships through their John Wesley Fellowship Program.
Rev. David Thomas is a Denman Fellow who has left full-time ministry to pursue a PhD at the University of Bristol, England. He received an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Divinity from Candler Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in Theology at the University of Bristol. As a full-time pastor he has served churches in the Kentucky Conference. Most recently he served Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, from 1997 to 2009. During his time at Centenary, the church’s outreach grew significantly with the development of an extensive recreation ministry, the purchase of a 100-acre tract of land for expansion, and an Alpha program that included over 1000 registrants in three years. Centenary also hired the Kentucky Conference’s first full-time pastor of missions, supporting 11 missionaries around the world.
David is a lifelong United Methodist and son of a United Methodist pastor in the Kentucky Conference. He and his wife Karen have three young children.
David will complete his PhD in 2013 and says that he is totally open to where God will lead him next. For many years he has had an interest in research. He feels a great responsibility to be a good steward of the investment The Foundation for Evangelism has made toward his education and future in The United Methodist Church. Rev. David Thomas is one of the United Methodist pastors who will help fulfill the vision of The Foundation for Evangelism to raise up generations of leaders with a passion to help people experience God’s transforming love through Jesus Christ.
