He calls himself "The Pastor TED — Christian Comedian."
"Anointed, hilarious and genuine are just a few words to describe The Pastor Fred," according to his Facebook introduction.
Indeed, Fred Thomas has made a name for himself as a pastor and a comedian at the same time. As listed on his Facebook page, he is the pastor and comedian at "Laugh Out Loud Church" in McKinney, Texas. He is also the President/Founder of Heart to Soul Ministries, and a former pastor at Church of God in Christ and New Beginnings Church of God in Christ.
Thomas recently created a stir online when he posted on his Facebook page a video showing him belting out a passionate gospel ballad. No, it's not about Jesus or anything related to his faith. It's about Whataburger's Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, a brand of sweet and savoury breakfast food.
The video has gone viral on social media, drawing more than 5.1 million views on Facebook as of Friday.
"Oh, how I love this biscuit. It is the best biscuit," Thomas sings in a deep, exaggerated soulful voice with a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit in hand. "I can't explain. Every time I pass Whataburger I hear it call my name."
Thomas said the attention he's been getting as a result of the viral video is "blowing his mind."
He earlier created a handful of gospel music videos on YouTube extolling the return of Blue Bell, a company that makes ice cream, after it was closed down due to health concerns, according to Dallas News.
But why is a pastor singing funny tunes about food? Why is he bringing humour to his church?
Thomas was asked these questions in 2015. As quoted by Dallas News, his reply was: "Laughter opens people up to deal with problems they wouldn't deal with. I do it to talk to the hearts and minds of people."
"I love being a preacher. I love being on the stage. It's been who I am," he told Guide Live.
