Thom Willis

Governing Elder
Vice Chairman

thom.willis@northlandchurch.net
407-949-4000

Thom Willis is a familiar face at Northland, having served on the Governing Elder board two times before. You may have even seen him filling in on the drums from time to time during worship services. Born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, at Eglin Air Force Base, Thom grew up wherever his father got stationed: New Mexico, California, Germany. But his familial and spiritual roots are in Orlando, where he spent most of his summers with his grandparents. “My grandmother had a big impact on the family and my life, both spiritually and emotionally … as she was the matriarch of the family,” Thom explains. “Because of her influence, I accepted Christ on July 6, 1963. While God has allowed my spiritual journey to take many turns, I am grateful for His mercy and grace. I rededicated my life in April 1980.”

For 30 years, Thom has been in the construction business as a building contractor. He and his wife, Marcia, have been married for 34 years and are parents to three children. Their daughter Azurae lives in Seattle with her husband, Dan, and recently gave birth to the Willises’ first grandchild, Juniper Rae. Thom and Marcia’s son, Austin, is 25 and attends graduate school in Manhattan. Their daughter Arleigh is 23 and recently earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.

Marcia and Thom have been involved at Northland since 1980, facilitating Bible studies and home groups for adults with Crown Financial Ministries and Navigators, as well as home groups for high-school ministries. Marcia and two other moms were responsible for developing Northland’s original co-op preschool program. Thom and Marcia also were part of the leadership team that helped develop Northland’s first concurrent-worship site, at Lyman High School, which was used until the new building opened in Longwood. They have also been involved in leading Distributed Journeys and see that as something they will continue to do together. Thom concludes, “I am looking forward to serving this body and being a part of the incredible ways God is connecting us to the world, both locally and globally.”