Eric Thomas

 Thomas was born in Chicago and grew up in Detroit. Thomas was the only child of a mother who was a teenager. After various arguments with his parents and aunts, he dropped out of high school. He stayed in a slum in Detroit for two years. He was homeless when he encountered an evangelical preacher who encouraged him to return to school and change his life. He also was offered an opportunity to work at the Olive Garden in Detroit's west side. Thomas and De-De Mosley met in the Detroit Center Seventh-day Adventist Church around this time. Following their move to Huntsville, Alabama, they were enrolled at Oakwood University and were then married while college students. Thomas worked for 12 years to earn an undergraduate degree at Oakwood and graduated in 2001.While in Huntsville, Thomas preached and established a program to aid children who were in need.