The Journey Church - Manhattan
Staff & Leaders

Kerrick Thomas

Hi...I'm Kerrick and I'm the Executive Pastor and a Teaching Pastor at The Journey. I'm also the pastor of our location in Manhattan. Among other things, my responsibilities include leading our great staff team, teaching on Sundays, overseeing various ministry areas of the church and working with the financial and stewardship areas of the church. I absolutely love to see people get connected to the church so they can grow spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually - and then see them step into positions of leadership so they can begin to help others on their journey. Contact me if you would like to know more about baptism, membership, giving or the church in general (including our various areas of ministry and mission). BASIC STUFF: My wife, Lorie, and I were married on May 29, 1999. We have a son, Hudson, who was born in Manhattan on March 22, 2008. And then we were blessed with twins on January 14, 2010. A boy (Jackson) and a girl (Sydney). We also have an energetic Jack Russell “Terror” named Aubie. Hudson loves pulling Aubie’s ears and Aubie loves chewing Hudson’s toys! Lorie and I moved to Manhattan (East Village area) in July of 2001 to start a new church in New York City. It’s been an amazing ride since then! Before that, Lorie and I lived in New Jersey while finishing graduate school at Princeton Theological Seminary. Lorie and I love serving together. In fact, Lorie has served as a youth and young adult minister at a great inner-city church here in the city called Graffiti. Lorie and I have also have served internationally in missions to the Philippines (twice), American Samoa and Africa. Today our family of 5 lives in East Harlem. BIRTHDAY: April 3, 1975 EDUCATION: Furman University – B.A. in Political Science and History; Princeton Theological Seminary – Master of Divinity Interests and Favorites: • Places: Of the places I've been…my favorites include the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park and Zanzibar (all in Tanzania). I also enjoyed Israel and the Philippines. Of course, I do love the Village and the Lower East Side of Manhattan! • What's on your iPod: Preferably something rock or alternative sounding. • Books: Recently I've been reading a lot of historical biographies (Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln to name a few). And on our staff we are constantly reading books on spiritual growth, leadership and best ministry practices. Oh..and this year the New Testament letters that Paul wrote from prison have been especially challenging to me (I’ll let you figure out which ones those are). • What do you TiVo: The Simpsons, cable news and sports (but not the boring sports like golf and baseball - I might as well take a nap). But honestly, Lorie doesn't let me have the remote too much because if one of the above isn't on I drive her crazy flipping channels. • Sport Teams: New York Jets and Alabama Football • Movies: Recent favorites include ''3:10 to Yuma,'' ''The Departed,'' ''The Simpson's Movie'' (of course). Further back include ''Goodfellas,'' ''Forest Gump,'' ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' and almost any stupid movie that makes me laugh. • Hobbies: Just hanging out with Lorie, Hudson, Jackson & Sydney (doesn't really matter what we're doing), reading, working out (I hate the treadmill but I do it anyway)…and during the Fall watching college football. • Dislikes: I hate waiting in lines or being stuck in traffic…a perfect dislike for NYC, right? • Odd Facts: I have a huge scar on my left knee from a college football injury; I absolutely, positively cannot roller skate (or any variation thereof such as ice skate or roller blade); and I sink like a rock in water. • Life Scripture: ''Obviously, I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant.'' - Galatians 1:10