Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 9-4-15 Edition

Local
Popular Tampa Clergyman Named Bishop-Designate
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Nearly 35 years ago, Rev. Dr. Thomas Scott became the senior pastor of his own church. Now, members of his congregation will be on hand to witness his inaugural celebration. The installation ceremony for Dr. Scott, pastor of the Thirty-Fourth Street Church Of God, will take place in November.
“My church is excited about it. I was nomi- nated, and in January, I met with Presiding Bishop Timothy Clarke, Senior Pastor of the First Church Of God, in Columbus, Ohio. He (Bishop Clarke) informed me that he had re- ceived letters asking that I be consecrated as a Bishop.
“Since then, Bishop Matthew Williams, Bishop of the Jurisdiction of Southwestern Florida and Adjutant General of the Church of God in Christ, and Bishop James Howell, Senior Pastor of Cathedral Of Faith Nondenomi- national Church, has been working with my con- gregation and training them on understanding what it means to be a Bishop.”
Dr. Scott said while his church is the only African American Church Of God in Hillsborough County, he works closely with the pastors and congregations of the other 6 churches in his de- nomination in the county. Additionally, there are 38 other churches in the Florida State Associa- tion of the Church Of God under his leadership.
A native of Macon, Georgia, Dr. Scott grad- uated from the University of North Florida, where he earned a B. A. Degree in Criminal Jus- tice with a minor in Sociology. He continued his
REV. DR. THOMAS SCOTT Bishop-Designate
education at Assembly of God Theological Semi- nary, where he earned an M. A. Degree in Biblical Studies.
He is also a recipient of a Doctor of Divinity degree conferred upon him by the Southern Ca- lifornia School of Ministry in 1995, and a Doctor of Humane Letters conferred upon him from Florida Metropolitan University.
He initially relocated to Jacksonville, and in 1980, moved to Tampa to lead the congregation of the 22nd Street Church Of God.
Dr. Scott, who recently announced his can- didacy for the Hillsborough County Commission, has served as a member of the Tampa City Coun- cil and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.
Tampa, Get On The Bus!
A local group has arranged transportation to Washington, D.C. for those who are inter- ested in taking part in this year’s Million Man March to be held October 10, 2015.
This year’s theme is “Jus- tice Or Else,” and in recogni- tion of the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March, the Tampa Local Organizing Com- mittee, Chaired by Brother Richard Muhammad along with the Tampa Study Group, will provide transportation to Washington, D.C. for $250.
The price includes comfort- able round trip charter bus transportation to and from the Nation’s Capitol to attend the historic event and rally.
To reserve your seat on the bus visit the website www.tam- paloc.org click the registration tab and complete the log-in de- tails.
Organizers are actively looking for members of the community to take an active role within the Local Organiz- ing Committee, and if they are interested, visit the Join A Committee tab on the website.
There are a host of events that will be taking place locally, and everyone is asked to check back often to be updated on the schedule of events and to find out what’s going on in the city.
For more information, call (813) 531-0965, or (813) 406- 1047.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A