Our Leadership
Guided by God's calling, Thompson Temple has been blessed with faithful shepherds throughout its 75-year legacy.
Supt. Keith E. Thornton, Sr. & First Lady Jacqueline
Pastor & First Lady
Bishop J.A. Thompson & Missionary Carrie Brown-Thompson
Founders · Est. 1951
Superintendent · Senior Pastor
Supt. Keith E. Thornton, Sr.
Superintendent · Senior Pastor
Supt. Keith E. Thornton, Sr.
Supt. Keith E. Thornton, Sr.
Supt. Keith Ernest Thornton Sr. accepted the Lord as his personal Savior in 1981, receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost the following year. With a deep conviction for holiness and a heart for service, he faithfully dedicated himself to ministry under the leadership of Bishop J.A. Thompson at Thompson Temple COGIC, until Bishop Thompson's demise in 2005. His devotion and leadership led to his appointment as Pastor in 2006.
As Superintendent of the J.A. Thompson Memorial District and Jurisdictional Missions President for Louisiana East Second Jurisdiction under the leadership of Bishop Gerald Hawkins, Supt. Thornton has expanded outreach efforts, impacting countless lives through community-centered ministries.
Locally, he led the completion and dedication of the J.A. Thompson Multi-Purpose Building in 2008, renovated and rededicated the sanctuary in 2010, and oversaw the acquisition and renovation of a 7,000-square-foot annex, now the Thompson Temple Keith E. Thornton, Sr. Family Life Center, housing a food pantry, clothing closet, computer lab, and library.
Beyond the pulpit, he is a devoted husband of over 37 years to Missionary Jacqueline Johnson-Thornton, a loving father of six, and grandfather of Karter, Cameron, and Chase. His mission: to lead with unwavering faith, serve with compassion, and transform lives through the power of God.
Missionary Jacqueline Johnson-Thornton
First Lady of Thompson Temple COGIC
Missionary Jacqueline Johnson-Thornton is a devoted servant of the Lord, a loving wife, mother, and a shining example of faith in action. She serves faithfully as the First Lady of Thompson Temple Church of God in Christ, where she is the President of the Women's Department, the Women's Sunday School teacher, and a vital part of church life, having served in numerous capacities and on various committees throughout the years.
She also holds the esteemed role of First Lady of the J.A. Thompson Memorial District and is the President of the Louisiana Eastern Second Jurisdiction Superintendents' and Presidents' Wives Circle.
A licensed Evangelist Missionary in the Church of God in Christ, Lady Thornton is an anointed singer and teacher who uses her God-given gifts to glorify the Lord and edify the body of Christ.
A retired educator with decades of dedicated service, she holds an associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree in education. Throughout her career, she impacted countless young lives, bringing the same excellence and compassion to the classroom that she brings to ministry.
She is the devoted and loving wife of Superintendent Keith E. Thornton, Sr., and together they have raised five accomplished children: Dr. Caressa Thornton-Stafford (PharmD); Wesley Thornton, MS, BA, AAS; Major Kerri Thornton-Stirrup, MSN, RN, CNE; Dr. Toi Thornton (Ph.D.); and Dr. Alana Thornton (DPT). She is also the proud grandmother of Karter, Cameron, and Chase.
"Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." — Proverbs 31:28
First Lady
Jacqueline Johnson-Thornton
First Lady
Jacqueline Johnson-Thornton
Our Founders
Bishop Joseph A. Thompson
& Missionary Carrie Brown-Thompson
Born in the 1910s, Bishop Thompson on July 1, 1916, and Missionary Carrie Brown-Thompson in April of 1919, the two met and married in November of 1941, beginning a partnership in life and ministry that would leave a lasting mark on the Church of God in Christ.
Bishop Thompson accepted the Lord in 1945 and was filled with the Holy Ghost just one week later. He soon began his ministry, discovering that God had blessed him with the gifts of healing and prophecy. While laboring in the field of evangelism, Elder Thompson received a vision in Dallas of a shotgun house in Gretna. The Lord instructed him to leave Dallas, find the corner he had been shown, and pitch a tent. In obedience, he did, and Thompson Temple was born.
Services began under that tent, with Missionary Thompson lifting her voice in song and Elder Thompson preaching the Word, until the day the tent went up in flames. Providentially, that very same day Bishop Thompson had purchased a building for a more permanent home, and Weyer Street Church of God in Christ was founded.
It was at Weyer Street that the congregation felt led to change the name to Thompson Temple Church of God in Christ, and where every department and auxiliary was established under the leadership of Missionary Thompson. There, too, Elder and Sister Thompson were blessed to adopt two children, David and Pamela, whom they raised in the admonition of the Lord and who became true assets to the church. Pamela, now Supervisor Pamela Thompson-Holmes, is a gifted organizer with expert secretarial and computer skills, and David was a musical virtuoso and theologian.
As the congregation grew, the church moved to a building on Cook Street, which served as home until 1986. Throughout these years, Superintendent and Missionary Thompson established a bus ministry, opened day care centers, and faithfully preached the gospel. While at Holy Convocation in Memphis, God spoke to Superintendent Thompson in a vision, revealing that the Wrangler Ranch in Gretna would soon close. Returning home in obedience, he confirmed the property's final day of business was just over a month away, paving the way for the congregation's move to its present home on Whitney Avenue, where it remains to this day. Having undergone many renovations, it stands as one of the most beautiful COGIC edifices in the area.
In 1987, Bishop Thompson established the Louisiana East Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and was elevated to the office of Bishop in the Church of God in Christ. Missionary Thompson remained a strong force within the ministry, leading the Sunday School as Superintendent from the Weyer Street days until her passing, and running revivals over the years through which many were filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Bishop Thompson went home to be with the Lord on January 3, 2005, at the age of 88. Missionary Thompson followed in November of 2008, at the age of 89.
We honor their legacy and will never forget the wisdom, knowledge, and strength they have left us. We continue to appreciate the foundation laid by Bishop and Missionary Thompson.
