Thomas, Marlin Eugene (1940-2007)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Dec 24 p. 8

Birth date: 1940 Jun 11

text of obituary:

MARLIN EUGENE THOMAS

Marlin Thomas, 67, died Dec. 3, 2007, after a six-and-a-half-month fight with brain cancer. He was born June 11, 1940, to Henry and Ruth Thomas in Satanta, Kan.

When he was 2 years old he relocated with his parents to Abram, Texas, where his parents founded a Mennonite Brethren mission church. He and his family lived in Texas until he finished the eighth grade.

During that time he came to know Jesus as his Savior and Lord and was baptized upon the confession of faith. He felt God’s call to serve in pastoral ministry.

He graduated from high school at Corn (Okla.) Bible Academy and attended Pacific Bible Institute, now Fresno (Calif.) Pacific University, Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, and both the University of Chicago and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, earning a doctor of ministry degree.

He met Janice Warkentin while attending Corn Bible Academy. They were married Sept. 15, 1961.

He taught in the English as a Second Language program for the Department of Labor in Fresno County and served as Bible and Christian studies instructor at Corn Bible Academy for seven years. He pastored churches in California, Oklahoma, Illinois, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Pennsylvania. During the last 19 years he served in the role of conflict transformation pastor as well as a consultant and trainer in numerous places. His time of service spanned 43 years. He retired as a credentialed minister of Lancaster Conference of Mennonite Church USA.

He authored three books and more than 20 articles in numerous newspapers, church-related magazines and scholarly journals. He founded Resources for Resolving Conflict, a not-for-profit ministry.

Survivors include his wife, Janice; son Eugene and his wife, Tami; daughter Cristy Cornelius and her husband, Ludwig; his father, Henry, age 95; brothers Art and Daniel; and sister-in-law Lou.

Funeral services were held at Bloomington (Ind.) Free Methodist Church.