The Rev. Renita H. Thomas was excited about her future.
In May she graduated from United Theological Seminary, in Dayton, Ohio, with a doctorate in ministry.
A few weeks later she was appointed to be the senior pastor of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, in McDonough, a particularly special assignment because she grew up in that church, said her brother Ed Thomas, of Ellenwood.
“The church had changed quite a bit from when we grew up there, but a lot of the old members were still there,” Mr. Thomas said. “She was excited to go back and be among people who loved her.”
Amid all of the happiness, between graduation and her new church assignment, the Rev. Thomas’ health began deteriorating. She would tire easily and was often weak, said Gwen Thomas, her sister-in-law. But the church took it in stride, Mrs. Thomas said.
“As a child, members of the church nurtured her growth,” she said. “And they continued to nurture her through this illness. They were anxious for her to get well.”
Seven weeks ago, Renita Helen Thomas went to the emergency room. She was getting weaker, her sister-in-law said, but no one knew why. It was during that hospital visit that the Rev. Thomas received a cancer diagnosis. She died Thursday at the Wesley Woods Center, of complications of associated with cancer. She was 51. A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Wesley Chapel. Burial will follow at Eastlawn Memorial Park, in McDonough. Lemon & Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
The Rev. Thomas was ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church in 1986 and served as an associate minister at Cascade United Methodist Church, where her pastor was the Rev. Joseph Lowery, who is on program to preach at the funeral. The Rev. Thomas has served on the conference level of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, most recently as the associate director of connectional ministries.
Throughout her career, the Rev. Thomas was a warm, welcoming person, said the Rev. Jasmine R. Smothers. The Rev. Thomas always had a sense of calm about her that baffled many, she said.
“She made you really curious about what is was about her, that made her the way she was,” the Rev. Smothers said. “And what we all saw was her deep and abiding faith in Christ, and love for the people of God, the church and the world.”
Over the last couple of days family members were able put a name to what they say was quintessentially the Rev. Thomas.
"She had a radiant kind of love,” said Mrs. Thomas. “She made everybody feel like they were her special friend, everybody that knew her had a special place in her life and she made room for everybody.”
The Rev. Thomas’ love for people combined with her ability to lead and a lifelong quest for education, made her a great mentor, the Rev. Smothers said.
“She was able to show people what their strengths were, and I am a recipient of that.”
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