L.F. Thuston is a community-centered leader and a rare blend of academic preparation, pastoral passion, dedicated churchmanship and spiritual vitality. 

After twenty years of successful pastoral and teaching assignments across the globe, he was appointed by the late Bishop W.H. McDonald to The Historic Boone Tabernacle COGIC in Kansas City, MO. For more than 20 years this thriving renewal parish has glorified God with the power of the full-Gospel ministry and visible community witness. Under L.F. Thuston’s leadership, Boone has built and dedicated a five-million-dollar worship facility, established the Tabernacle Community Development Center and maintained annual community outreach programs that impact thousands each year. 

Early in his tenure, Bishop Thuston was elevated to the high and holy office of jurisdictional bishop by the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop G.E. Patterson. Without slowing the pace and quality of pastoral leadership, Bishop Thuston is currently shepherding this diocese of 62 churches, parishes and ministries in Kansas and Missouri. He continues his pastorate at the Historic Boone Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Kansas City, MO as well as Mason Temple Institutional COGIC in Kansas City, Kansas.

During the 109th Holy Convocation of the Church of God in Christ, he was elevated as the Chairman of the General Assembly after the untimely passing of Bishop James W. Hunt Sr. This elevation occurred during the church’s quadrennial elections at which time Bishop Thuston was serving his second term as the Vice-Chairman. In his position, he works closely with each of the Assembly’s 20-plus committees to establish procedures that will continue to move the COGIC body forward including the implementation of the COGIC 10-year plan.   

Answering the call to ministry in his youth, he has traveled extensively lecturing, teaching, and evangelizing in 46 of the 50 states and in 22 foreign nations on four continents. He has authored four writings: Essential Ministry Tools, Tears of Jeremiah, and From Aldersgate to Azusa. His most recent work, Decently and In Order In the Sanctified Church, is currently in distribution.

Among his academic accomplishments, he is a 1981 graduate of the Assemblies of God Graduate School where he earned a Masters of Arts Degree and a former professor of North Central University of Minneapolis, MN.  He brings an abundance of experience to his various offices including a history of service to his COGIC denomination as Dean of the National Youth Department, Dean of the International Adjutant Corp and Doctrinal Committee Chair for the Board of Bishops among other titles.

Married 30-plus years to his wife, Marian, they are the parents of adult daughter Melody Thuston of Atlanta, GA. Lemuel is the son of the late Pastor Floyd and Supervisor Roberta Thuston.