Sandra M. Thomas, D. Min.
Associate Minister for Senior Adult Ministry

Sandra Thomas's life has always centered on the church. She grew up in a Free Will Baptist "storefront" church in Detroit where her uncle was the pastor. At the age of 19, longing for grace and order, she become a member of Nardin Park United Methodist Church in Farmington, Michigan. From there she was drawn to seminary and to ordination in the United Methodist Church. After 20 years as a United Methodist pastor, Sandra "transferred up" to the Presbyterian Church USA in the Baltimore Presbytery.

Sandra served two "country becoming suburban" churches in Carroll County, Maryland. One of those churches was founded by Francis Asbury in 1764. During her seven years with those two churches she wrote an award winning history of Dennings, Maryland and the political and religious events around the founding of St. James United Methodist Church.

In 1981 she was appointed associate pastor of Glen Mar United Methodist Church, working on a team with her husband and two other pastors in a rapidly growing suburban congregation. There she developed a specialized ministry of pastoral care by training Stephen ministers, developing support groups, opening a professional counseling center and beginning a parish nurse program for the congregation. During Sandra's twelve years at Glen Mar, the congregation more than doubled in size to 1600 members.

Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park Maryland called her to a similar ministry of pastoral care in 1994. During her years at Woods, the PCUSA Office of Health Ministries funded the start up of an educational program for training parish nurses. That endeavor expanded to five teaching locations along the east coast. Developing that program as a non-profit business became Sandra's next "call".

Sandra's love of older adults blossomed when she became chaplain at a continuing care retirement community. Through visiting, worshipping, playing and learning, deep and lasting relationships were formed. She says "I became aware of the richness of remembering, the gifts and abilities for serving others that older adults possess and the wealth of wisdom and blessing that come with this special time of life."

Along the way Sandra has also been an adjunct faculty member at The Ecumenical Institute of Theology (St. Mary's Seminary) in Baltimore and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C, teaching pastoral care and parish nursing courses.

Her formal education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in psychology from Adrian College, Adrian Michigan, a Master of Divinity Degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. and a Doctor of Ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. But she says her deepest and best education has come from reflecting on life experiences and doing ministry.

Sandra is the mother of three sons: Aaron, 25, who is a graduate of Boston University; Jeremy, 21, who is a senior at the University of New Haven; and Nathaniel, 18, who is a freshman at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. She enjoys being with her sons, as well as gardening, reading, quilting, and playing with "Sami" the family dog.

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