Dr. Samuel Thomas, President and CEO

Born in 1967 in India - the only son of Dr. M. A. and Ammini Thomas - Dr. Samuel Thomas learned early on that true Christianity requires us to be soldiers for Christ. He doesn't call any of us to be wimps or spectators for Jesus!

Dr. Samuel, now the President of Hopegivers International - a faith-based, non-profit charitable organization established in 1978 - rescues orphans, abandoned and at-risk children, trains and sends young men and women as Pioneer Missionaries with the Gospel, and labors to reach the unevangelized people groups, primarily in India, with the Gospel. Hopegivers is a unique ministry committed to sending 1 million arrows (disciples) into the world for the cause of Christ.

Children aren't just fed at Hopegivers. They are housed, educated, cared for medically, and trained spiritually in loving family environments called Hope Homes. Hopegivers builds the schools where all the children receive a primary and secondary education. The ministry builds and staffs Bible Colleges all across India so young men and women - previously abandoned orphans who have a call on their life - can be trained to take the Gospel into villages and other countries where the name of Jesus is still unknown. Over 30,000 pioneer missionaries have already graduated from these colleges and planted over 40,000 churches throughout India and in surrounding nations. Hopegivers doesn't just rescue - they change lives both here and for eternity! These changed lives move out and repeat the process of rescue, change and growth all over the world.   

Dr. Samuel is as dedicated to spreading the Gospel through the rejected of society as his father, Dr. M.A. Thomas. A powerful communicator and an internationally sought after speaker, author and ministry leader, Dr. Samuel is articulate, passionate and humorous whether speaking to one or to thousands. With unbridled passion for the Word of God and a commitment to surrender always to the leading of the Holy Spirit, audiences/congregations leave refreshed, informed and spiritually recharged with a  new hunger to know Christ and His presence more fully in their daily lives.

It only takes minutes of speaking with Dr. Samuel Thomas to sense his daily passion for knowing God in a deeper way. His life is spent surrendering his will to that of the Father's, even to the point of torture and imprisonment in 2006 for the sake of the Gospel. God has given him a compassion for the fatherless, the widowed, and the rejected of society. Tireless in his efforts to serve the lost - whether a sick and abandoned baby, or a starving widow - nothing sways this man's dedication to save others so they too have the opportunity to choose eternal life.  

Like his father before him - Dr. M. A. Thomas - Dr. Samuel is a visionary. As a young man he thought that pediatric medicine would be his path to rescuing the children. Always, God's ways are not ours. He smiles and says, "I was drafted into this role by the Holy Spirit. The Lord didn't want my money - He wanted me!"

Dr. Samuel Thomas has a B.S. from Columbia International University; a B.A. from Liberty University; an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Liberty University; and a Doctorate of Divinity from Antioch Seminary.   

Dr. Samuel Thomas is an accomplished singer, songwriter and instrumentalist. He has recorded several albums in the Hindi and Malayan languages. He is well known for his leadership seminars in India, the Middle East and in the United States. Dr. Samuel Thomas is married to Shelley. They have two sons, Steven and Timothy.