NORMAN, Okla. (ABP) -- Veteran missionary Charles "T" Thomas was hired by the Cooperating Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma as coordinator Dec. 6.

Thomas, currently associate coordinator for missions for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida, will assume his new position Jan. 1. Both state organizations are affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a nationwide network of moderate Baptists.

"There's a great deal of excitement here in Oklahoma" about Thomas' election, said Lavonn Brown, interim coordinator.

Thomas, a native of Atlanta, replaces Rick McClatchy as chief executive of the CBF of Oklahoma. McClatchy recently left to become coordinator for the CBF of Texas. The Oklahoma organization has three employees.

In 1992, Thomas and his wife, Kathie, were among the first four global missionaries appointed by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Previously they were missionaries assigned for the Southern Baptist Convention, serving first in France and later in Romania. The Thomases resigned from the SBC Foreign Mission Board in protest of what they termed a "hostile takeover" that resulted in the resignations of two top FMB administrators for Europe.

-- This story updates one issued Dec. 1.

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