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Major Ian Thomas

Major Ian Thomas (1914 - 2007)

Evangelical writer, theological teacher and founder of the Torchbearers bible schools. These schools are now world-wide in many countries and provide a teaching base on the person of Christ in the believer and basic Biblical exposition of Bible books.

Among the many books that he wrote, the most influential have been: "The Saving Life Of Christ" , "The mystery of godliness" and "If I perish, I Perish." His burden in ministry was to express and show the indwelling life of Christ in believers and the rest and power that life will have in us as we trust and have faith.

Recommends these books by Major Ian Thomas:
The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me by Major Ian Thomas
If I Perish, I Perish by Major Ian Thomas
The Mystery of Godliness: Experiencing Christ in Us by Major Ian Thomas


W Ian Thomas was a writer and theological teacher. Thomas is probably best known as an author and as the founder of both Torchbearers International and Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers.

His book, "The Saving Life of Christ", seems to have had a profound affect on Bert Harned, M.D., and the many individuals he has discipled in his lifetime.

Major W. Ian Thomas was born in London, England of middle class parents and was converted at the age of twelve in a Boy's Camp. With the intention of becoming a missionary in Africa, he studied medicine at London University for two years, where as a student of nineteen, in deep discouragement about his Christian life, he discovered the life-transforming secret of the indwelling life of the risen, living Lord Jesus Christ in the life of the believer. This discovery precipitated him almost immediately into an evangelistic and Bible teaching ministry which has spread around the world.

Arising from this world wide-ministry, there came into being a Young Peoples Christian Conference Center and Bible School at Capernwray Hall, Carnforth, in the North West of England and from this beginning there developed the Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers, of which Major Thomas is the Founder and General Director.

There are now Conference Centers and Bible Schools beyond the British Isles in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Canada, the U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Japan, Costa Rica and additional Headquarters established in the Sudan, Micronesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

      Major W. Ian Thomas was born in London, England of middle class parents and was converted at the age of twelve in a Boy's Camp. With the intention of becoming a missionary in Africa, he studied medicine at London University for two years, where as a student of nineteen, in deep discouragement about his Christian life, he discovered the life-transforming secret of the indwelling life of the risen, living Lord Jesus Christ in the life of the believer. This discovery precipitated him almost immediately into an evangelistic and Bible teaching ministry which has spread around the world.

      Arising from this world wide-ministry, there came into being a Young Peoples Christian Conference Center and Bible School at Capernwray Hall, Carnforth, in the North West of England and from this beginning there developed the Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers, of which Major Thomas is the Founder and General Director.

      There are now Conference Centers and Bible Schools beyond the British Isles in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Canada, the U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Japan, Costa Rica and additional Headquarters established in the Sudan, Micronesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

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Major Ian Thomas

A HUMAN VEHICLE OF THE DIVINE LIFE

"Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it." (I Thessalonians 5:24). The One who calls you to a life of righteousness is the One who by our consent lives that life of righteousness through you! The One who calls you to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, is the On... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

A Man Approved By God

The 1966 Southam Cheswick Convention, Dallas Texas, January 20th, Major Thomas. Message: A Man approved of God. Thank you so much for that very wonderful message to our hearts. It is lovely to share the ministry in this way with our brother Frank Barnes and to add the spoken Word to the sung Word. A... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

ADAM’S CONVERSION

We read from the 8th chapter of the epistle to the Romans, Romans chapter 8, commencing with the first verse. As I mentioned last night, where I deviate from the King James’ Version it will be to the Amplified New Testament. Romans Ch. 8 v. 1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation, no adjudging gui... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

Ark of the Covenant (Transcription)

Grab your Bible’s and keep your fingers well lit. “The Form of scripture is the Word of God; the Character of the Word of God is the Gospel, and the content of the Gospel is Jesus Christ.” – Major Ian Thomas So no matter where we turn in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we may anticipate that ... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

AT HIS DISPOSAL

The moment you are redeemed through the atoning death of Christ upon the cross, you receive the Holy Spirit within your human spirit. You have "passed from death to life" - raised from the dead - and the Life which has been imparted to you by the Holy Spirit is the very Life of Christ Himself; " He ... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

BEING AND DOING

This is divine vocation into which you have been redeemed, as "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that you should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10) can only be fulfilled in the energy and power of the One who indwells you now by His Spirit, as He wal... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

CHRIST HIMSELF THE CONTENT OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

There is something, which makes Christianity more than a religion, more than an ethic, and more than the idle dream of the sentimental idealist. It is this something, which makes it relevant to each one of us right now as a contemporary experience. It is the fact that Christ Himself is the very life... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

COMMITMENT?

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Truth, and as in all other things that pertain, unto life and godliness" (11 Peter 1:3), He is the Truth about true commitment. He was committed to the Father for all that to which the Father was committed in the Son, and He was supremely confident that the Father who dw... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

DEPENDENCE

To live "to and for yourself" is to "walk after the flesh"! To live "to and for Christ" is to "walk after the Spirit"! These are the two principles of human behavior. It is not just a matter of degree, it is a matter of kind; to be dominated by the "flesh" is to be dominated by the devil; and to be ... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

ETERNAL LIFE IS CHRIST

What is eternal life? Is it a place that you are going to when you are dead? Is it a peculiar feeling inside? If you were to ask a normal congregation, or any sort of Bible class or Sunday school in an evangelical church to define eternal life, you would be amazed at the strange answers you would ge... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

EXCHANGED LIFE

Christian living is not a method or technique; it is an entirely different, revolutionary principle of life. It is the principle of an exchanged life" not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). This is all part of our Gospel - it is not the Gospel plus! We must not get our terminology wrong. ... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

For Christ To Be in You

Christian Growth is a Person His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Never allow anyone to deceive you into believing that God has placed an arbitrary limitation upon the efficacy of the blood of Christ, or that there are those who cannot repent, even if they would, simply because God has deliberately placed them outside the scope of His redemptive purpose! This blas... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

Fruit Bearing vs. Fruit Producing

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:8 Fruit bearing is the overflow of the life of Christ dwelling in us. Fruit producing is attempting to live the Christian in our own power. Fruit bearing is the result of faith: fruit producing is striv... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

FULLNESS IN EVERYTHING

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). In other words, you can do no more without Him than He could do without the Father. But how much could the Father do through the Son? Everythin... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

Grace: Freedom Not to Sin

Power to Say, “No,” to Ungodliness and, “Yes,” to Righteousness For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age . . . . Titus 2:11-12 Grace is not ... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH?

You cannot accomplish your own redemption, and you cannot accomplish your own sanctification! It is "according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue" (11 Peter 1:3): faith takes wha... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

I AM THOU ART

It may be that your need is still that of a sinner seeking forgiveness; you need to be redeemed, and you are still trying to find your way back to God and godliness. Christ is saying to you now, as He said to His disciples of old in the Upper Room, after he was risen from the dead, "Behold my hands ... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY OF DEITY

Jesus Christ Himself is the final exegesis of all truth. He is all that we need to know about God, and He is all that we need to know about man. The Lord Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands that as a Man, all the illimitable resources of deity had been vested in His person... Read More
Major Ian Thomas

Major Ian Thomas Quotes

Christ did not die simply that you might be saved from a bad conscience, or even to remove the stain of past failure, but to "clear the decks" for divine action. There is something, which makes Christianity more than a religion, more than an ethic, and more than the idle dream of the sentimental ide... Read More

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