Born on September 18, 1929 before the wake of the Great Depression, Cubit James Thomas was raised in the rural north delta town of Tunica, Mississippi. Due to hardships experienced by his family during the depression he was reared by his grandmother, Hattie Johnson. Mrs. Johnson taught the young boy, known as C.J., the importance of hard work, perseverance, and most importantly faith in God. In August of 1937 at the age of seven C.J. professed his faith in Christ  at Pleasant Ridge Missionary Baptist Church where his love for music and Christian education was emerged. Due to racial segregation’s existence in Tunica C.J. was educated at Houston Elementary and Tunica Colored High School, which were designated for as black schools.

The pressures of living in mid-nineteenth century Jim Crow Society, the rigors of sharecropping, and living below the national poverty line led many African-Americans to flee the rural South to urban centers for social and economic relief. C.J. Thomas chose this path too, and left the unpaved dirt roads of Tunica for the cobblestone streets and lights of Memphis, Tennessee Christmas day of 1950. Shortly thereafter, in the 1951, he was drafted into service in the United States Army during the Korean War. Thomas was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska were he served until 1953. Upon his return to Memphis began to work Imperial Chemical Corporation of America as a dishwasher. By 1993, when he retired, he had advanced to the position of Plant Supervisor.

The professional achievements of C.J. Thomas are do not compare to his service record as a community leader, Christian educational counselor, and spiritual guide. Since his assuming the presidency of the North Mississippi State Congress of Christian Education (NMSCCE) in 1988, his advocating Christian secular education in the northern portion of the state led to the growth of many Sunday schools and Baptist churches participating in the organization. He also served as dean of the Hammond Hill Sunday School and Congress of Christian Education from 1975 to 2001. His zeal for Christian education and education spurs from his experiences in completing a four-year courses in Christian Education Administration and Christian Leadership through the National Baptist Congress, studying at W. Herbert Bruster’s School of Religion and Campbell’s School of Religion.

Pastor Thomas’ threefold vision for the NMSCCE is to continue promoting Christian education in Northwest Mississippi, to prepare more Baptist churches to become active in evangelism in the local communities, and to promote community outreach through a range of educational initiatives which address the social, economic, and political well-being of the community. He has taken as his charge to uphold the Great Commission, which Jesus left to the church, by using Christian education as a tool to encourage Baptist churches in the area to become proactive in fulfilling this obligation. The fulfilling of this obligation has been witnessed through his application of Christian education at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Ministries Incorporated (PHBCMI) Hernando, Mississippi, where he has pastored for 37 years.

Under Pastor Thomas’ leadership Pleasant Hill Baptist Church has progressively instituted and  sought ways to apply the word of God in the local community by sharing the goodness and righteousness of God. A bold move in this process was relocating the church from a rural area into a urban location to better serve the needs of the local community. Through PHBCMI offering seminars in witnessing, holding community bible study, and yearly conferences at it’s new facility the cause of Christian education is being taken forward in North Mississippi. Even through using technological venues such as e-mail, a church newsletter, and a website, Pastor Thomas advocates Christian education worldwide.      

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