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A.J. Thomas, FounderAJ@JoyfulGivingGroup.com
A.J. is a practiced believer in the power of generosity to transform individual lives, congregations, and entire communities. A.J. is an ordained United Methodist pastor with over a decade of leadership experience in the local church. He has been in churches large and small, from small towns to the big city, and has served as an associate pastor, solo pastor, and head of staff. A pastor's kid who has always been something of a pastor to pastors, he founded Joyful Giving Group in order to share the joy of giving. This work gives him the opportunity to meet many wonderful people and witness what God is up to in different places. He loves to help connect resources with your God-sized dream. A.J. and his wife, Ashley, live in Charlotte, North Carolina. He serves as the Director of Client Relations at the United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina. |
Ministry
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Modeling and teaching generosity as a local church pastor resulting in:
Successful turnarounds from decline to thriving, inward-focused to outward Developing partnerships and shared resources with neighboring congregations |
Training,
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Capital Campaign Training (Foti Creative)
Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (IUPUI Lilly School of Philanthropy, coursework completed, project pending) Development Fund Team (United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina) Reynolds Certificate in Church Leadership (United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina) Board of Ordained Ministry (Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church) Multiplying Ministry (Led by Brian Zehr, Intentional Impact) Young Pastors' Network (Led by Adam Hamilton and Mike Slaughter) Master of Divinity (Duke University, Durham, North Carolina) Bachelor of Arts, Communication (Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, New York) |