His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop '''Thomas (Joseph) of Oakland and the East''' (b. 19521953) is a [[diocese|diocesan]] [[bishop]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]]. (''Oakland'' refers to Oakland, Pennsylvania, a borough of Pittsburgh and the location of the cathedral for the Antiochian Diocese of Oakland and the East.)

Between 1996 and his consecration to the episcopacy, Fr. Thomas served in multiple capacities aside from his work as a pastor. He was an appointed member of the Archdiocese Youth Department Board; Spiritual Advisor to the Teen SOYO (Society of Orthodox Youth Organization) Southeastern Region; Chairperson of the Tampa Bay Orthodox Clergy Association; Director of Programs in Pastoral Bioethics for the International Academy of Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine in the United States; Speaker at Braunels, Germany, and at City University of Hong Kong on Bioethics; author of published articles on Christian Bioethics; Speaker at Antiochian Village and third session camp priest for the last three many years; past President and current Vice President of the Tampa Bay Council of Orthodox Churches. In July 2002, Fr. Thomas was granted a Master of Arts degree in Applied Orthodox Theology jointly from the Antiochian House of Studies and the St. John of Damascus School of Theology of the University of Balamand in Lebanon. In August of 2006, Bishop THOMAS was awarded a Doctorate in Education from California Coast University.