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Thomas (Joseph) of Charleston and Oakland

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His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop '''Thomas (Joseph) of Oakland and the East''' (b. 1953) is a [[diocese|diocesan]] [[bishop]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]].
==Life==
Of Arab-American extraction, Bp. Thomas hails originally from was born in Paterson, New Jerseyin 1953. Before his consecration He attended John F. Kennedy High School there and graduated in Damascus1970. He then went on to college at William Paterson College, Syriagraduating in 1974. After college, to he worked in the episcopacy on [[December 5]]Department of Community Improvements in Paterson, 2004, Thomas and then served as a public school teacher and also as a youth minister and for the Paterson Board of Education. When the [[priestAntiochian Village]] at [[parish]]es of camp opened in the Antiochian Archdiocese in several locationslate 1970's, including Sthe was recruited by Fr. Petersburg, Florida, and Houston, TexasJohn Namie to serve as one of the original camp counselors from 1979 to 1982.
In the Fall of 1979, Thomas began part-time study at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], and was made a [[subdeacon]] by Metropolitan [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]] in July of 1982. He then continued his studies until Spring of 1983, when he was assigned to Virgin Mary Church in Yonkers, New York.  In 1984, Metr. Philip assigned to him St. George Church in Houston, Texas, where he served as Director of Christian Education and Youth Services. DWhile in Texas, the Archdiocese also assigned him to oversee Christian Education and then later teen activities for the churches in the Southwest Region (now the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America). In July of 1988 Thomas was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by Archbishop [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]]. On [[August 28]], 1994, Bishop [[Antoun (Khouri) of Miami|Antoun (Khouri)]] ordained Dcn. Thomas to the [[priest]]hood, and Fr. Thomas served as assistant pastor at his parish there in Houston until August of 1996, when he was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Pinellas Park, Florida (near St. Petersburg). Between 1996 and his consecration to the episcopacy, Fr. Thomas served in multiple capacities aside from his work as a pastor. He was appointed to the Archdiocese Youth Department Board; Spiritual Advisor to the Teen SOYO 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 City University of Hong Kong on Bioethics; published articles on Christian Bioethics; Speaker at Antiochian Village and third session camp priest for the last three 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 from the Antiochian House of Studies, the Balamand Seminary and the St. John of Damascus School of Theology. On [[February 15]], 2004, Fr. Thomas was elevated to the rank of [[archimandrite]] by Bp. Antoun, and on [[December 5]], 2004, he was consecrated to the [[bishop|episcopacy]] by Patriarch [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch]] in Damascus, Syria. Bp. Thomas was enthroned as Bishop of Oakland and the East at St. George Cathedral in Pittsburgh (Borough of Oakland), Pennsylvania, on [[May 6]], 2005. His Grace's residence is at the [[Antiochian Village]] in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. ==Reference==*[http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/Biography_of_Father_Thomas/biography_of_father_thomas.htm Biography of Father Thomas Joseph], from [http://www.stnicholasaoc.com/ St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church], where he served as one of the original camp counselors in the late 1970'sSt.Petersburgh, Florida
==External links==
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