THE serious loss sustained by the Church and the world in the death of the fathers in the ministry is, no doubt, very sensibly felt, but, perhaps, not fully realized. Their consistent and dignified deportment, their wise counsels, and their words of encouragement and admonition, seem to have been a necessity of which we are only now apprised since they are no more. One by one, they pass from our midst, and we behold a vacancy which can only partially be filled. But their work is complete, and the Master has called them to come up higher; therefore, we submissively bow to the Divine will.

Rev. S.Y. Thomas was born in Sumner county, Tenn., December 24th, 1797, and died at his residence near Yorkville, Gibson county, Tenn., April 25th, 1880, aged 82 years, 4 months, and 1 day. He was principally raised in Wilson county, Tenn., his father having moved there when he was quite young. This vicinity, now so famous for its educational facilities, was then new and sparsely settled, and had very few advantages favorable to education; yet the opportunities enjoyed were wisely improved and he obtained a fair English education, to which he continued to make additions during life. He was a life long student.

The glorious influence of the "revival of 1800" embraced the community in which father Thomas was reared, and he was a happy participant in the benefits realized by the many. He made a profession of faith in Christ at a camp-meeting held at Smith's Fork camp-ground in the autumn of 1821, and immediately joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He attended a session of Nashville Presbytery in the fall of 1822, and after giving a relation of his experimental acquaintance with religion, and his internal call, was received as a probationer and encouraged to look forward to the work of the holy ministry. He was licensed to preach the gospel of Christ in the spring of 1825 by the Lebanon Presbytery, the Nashville Presbytery having been divided and the Lebanon organized. Immediately after his licensure he was sent by his Presbytery to travel and preach in the bounds of what was called the Overton circuit. Succeeding this, he traveled and preached in the bounds of Sequatchie, East Tennessee, and Lebanon circuits, comprising a period of four years as a circuit rider in Middle and East Tennessee. His associate laborers, during this time, were A.M. Young, Robert Tate, and George Donnell, and from information given by father Thomas in his autobiography , we learn that their labors were not in vain in the Lord. Hundreds of souls were converted at their meetings held in log schoolhouses, under brush arbors, and in the groves. Father Thomas was ordained by the Lebanon Presbytery in September, 1827, after which he returned to East Tennessee and spent about six months in preaching and organizing churches; and, no doubt, many of those churches still prosper, and, perhaps, some of the original members still live and bless the days of his ministrations amongst them.

In the spring of 1828, he took charge of Smith's fork congregation as pastor, and did excellent service for about four years. He was married to Sarah C. Thomas, daughter of Jacob and Hannah Thomas, the 5th of March, 1929. He removed to West Tennessee in the fall of 1832, and settled in Gibson county, near Yorkville, where he spent the remainder of his life, except two years, which time he lived in Henry county, Tennessee, and served churches in Henry and Benton counties. Soon after settling in West Tennessee he was called to take charge of Concord congregation at Yorkville, which he served with much success, first and last, about thirty years.

When father Thomas took charge of the Concord church it was composed of about fifty members, which were scattered promiscuously over a territory of many miles; but he lived to see its numbers increase to such an extent that it became necessary to organize many other churches in the surrounding country; and I will be permitted to state, that as a result of his indefatigable labors, in connection with that of other faithful men of God who stood at his side, Cumberland Presbyterianism has a prominence in West Tennessee. Very many still survive who call up with much pleasure the glorious revivals of religion at camp-meetings conducted by father Thomas and his co-laborers at Concord, Double Springs, McLemoresville, and other points. As a minister he was among the first of his day. He was clear and forcible in his expositions of God's word. He was an able defender of the peculiar doctrines of his Church, and he was eminently successful as a pastor. As a Presbyter, he was wise and discreet. His counsels in the judicatures of the Church were regarded with great deference. Father Thomas was present at the meeting of the General Synod in 1828, which passed the resolution to organize a General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and voted in favor of the Assembly. He was several times elected by his Presbytery as a commissioner to the General Assembly.

Father Thomas was a devoted Mason, and was a charter member of the Blue Lodge, Royal Arch Chapter, and commandery of the orders of knighthood at Yorkville. The brethren of this fraternity deposited his remains in the Yorkville cemetery with Masonic honors. His funeral was preached by the writer, from the pulpit he had so long occupied, at Yorkville, the second Sabbath in June, to a large assemblage of relatives and friends.

His aged wife still survives him, with three sons and two daughters. All these entertain a bright hope of a happy reunion, except two sons. May they early seek their father's God.

The session adopted the following resolutions:

1. That in the death of brother Thomas, who labored so earnestly and zealously for over fifty years in his Master's vineyard, the community has lost one of its most influential citizens, and the church at this place, of which he was pastor for over thirty years, though not consecutively, one of its most self-sacrificing and energetic workers.

2. That the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is deprived of one in whom burned brilliantly the spirit of the fathers, and who was one of the most able defenders of her doctrines and usages.

H. L. Dickey, J. W. Burney, Committee.

Samuel Young Thomas
Cumberland Presbyterian Minister
born: 24 December 1797 - Sumner County, Tennessee
died: 25 April 1880 - near Yorkville, Gibson County, Tennessee
buried: Yorkville Cemetery, Gibson County, Tennessee
married: 5 March 1829
wife: Sarah C. Thomas
[daughter of Jacob and Hannah Thomas]