HYDE PARK : Rev. Eugene Thomas: ‘A Giant Among Us’

In 1965, the Rev. Eugene Thomas had a simple vision: He wanted to start a weekly newspaper that listed local African-American church events.

A man of seemingly limitless faith and scant knowledge of publishing, Thomas opened shop in a small room at the Love of God Missionary Baptist Church and began printing the ACC Church and Community News.

On Feb. 7, at the age of 67, Thomas died of diabetes-related infections. More than 500 people attended his funeral Feb. 13. Although they mourned Thomas’ death, they also celebrated his achievements as a church pioneer, a community leader and founding pastor of the Love of God church.

“He felt that . . . churches were not communicating with one another,” said Robert Joseph, a nephew who now runs the paper. “People in those days thought it was strange because it was unheard of to put churches in a newspaper like that.”

The little five-cent paper, which was initially distributed to about 100 churches, now has a circulation of 120,000, including churches in California and individual subscribers in several Southern states, Joseph said.

“He taught the young how to print and how to do layout,” recalled the Rev. E. V. Hill of Mount Zion Baptist Church. “He didn’t get money from the city. He just did it. He was a giant among us. And it is wonderful that he showed that you didn’t have to be the son of a President. He just had a vision, got a place and went to work.”

More than 30 local pastors, politicians and community leaders spoke at the services at Mount Moriah Baptist Church. They included Mayor Tom Bradley, former Councilman Robert Farrell and Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, Eugene Thomas’ nephew.

Bradley said the pages of the ACC News became an important place to be seen during campaigns for local office.

“I was there when he formed the ACC News,” Bradley said. “Everybody wanted to get their face on the cover. If you were a politician it meant more than an endorsement.”

Thomas is survived by his wife, Nora Thomas; his mother Sylvia Thomas; two daughters, Beverly Boxie and Jeanette Byers; a sister and two brothers.