About Dr. Neal
The Reverend Dr. Gregory S. Neal is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with the B.A. in History, Religious Studies, and Russian Language; Duke Divinity with the M.Div. in Theology and Biblical Studies; and Trinity Graduate College with the Ph.D in Systematic Theology and New Testament Textual Criticism. His doctoral dissertation was in the field of Sacramental Theology and dealt with Anglican and Methodist understandings of the doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. Essential elements of Neal's work on this subject have been re-drafted into readable English and published in his book: Grace Upon Grace: Sacramental Theology and the Christian Life, which is now in its second edition.
Ministry Credentials and Pastoral History:
Rev. Neal is the Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines, Iowa. A clergy member of the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, he was ordained a transitional Deacon in 1991 and an Elder ("Presbyter") in 1994 by the Reverend Dr. Bruce P. Blake, then-resident Bishop of the Dallas Episcopal Area. While trained as a theologian and Christian educator, Dr. Neal is called to the pastoral ministry of the Church of Jesus Christ. During his 30+ years in ministry he has served as an Associate and Senior Pastor at several United Methodist Churches in North Carolina, North Texas, and now Iowa.
Dr. Neal's years of ministry in North Texas have been full and fruitful. His bishops have appointed him to churches that have been all over the theological spectrum, from conservative to progressive and formal to contemporary. He has served a few small town-and-country churches, two inner-city churches, three suburban churches, and a vibrant university church. While some of the churches he has served have been flourishing, others were struggling with financial difficulties or were divided and dysfunctional. As a trouble-shooter and problem-solver, Greg has been particularly successful at helping conflicted and fractured congregations to forge lasting and meaningful reconciliations between estranged groups, while expanding their ministries to those outside the church doors.
Activities:
In addition to his pastoral duties in the local church, Rev. Neal has served on several boards and committees of the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, including five District Committees on Ordained Ministry, the Ecumenical Ministries Commission, and the Conference Planning Committee. He has served for many years as a district and conference statistician, written extensively for the Conference newspaper, and been a mentor-pastor for many young clergy.
Beyond these District and Conference responsibilities, Dr. Neal has also been involved in several mission, ministry, and educational initiatives at the denominational-level: from 1994 - 2006 he taught in the Schools of Christian Mission in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Virginia, while also serving as Dean of the North Texas Mission School from 1996-1998. Since 1997 he has been involved with the Walk to Emmaus, a ministry of the Upper Room, serving as Spiritual Director for innumerable weekend retreats and as the Community Spiritual Director for the Red River and Dallas Emmaus Communities. Since its adoption in 2004 as the official position of the UMC on the meaning and practice of the Lord's Supper, he has taught This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion to numerous lay and clergy groups across the denomination. In 2013 Greg served on the UMC's Consultation on Online Communion, authoring several articles on the theology of, and his experience with, the practice. As a popular speaker on many Biblical and theological subjects, including sacramental theology, he has lead spiritual retreats, revivals, classes, and study seminars for groups all across The United Methodist Church and in other denominations. Dr. Neal is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Wesleyan/Anglican Society, and The Order of Saint Luke in The United Methodist Church. His love of liturgy, the sacraments, and the contemplative life, as well as his keen interest in the ecumenical movement, led to his being invited to become the first United Methodist Associate of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, an Anglican Monastic community which has spiritually fed him for 33 years.
Background:
The Reverend Dr. Gregory S. Neal is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with the B.A. in History, Religious Studies, and Russian Language; Duke Divinity with the M.Div. in Theology and Biblical Studies; and Trinity Graduate College with the Ph.D in Systematic Theology and New Testament Textual Criticism. His doctoral dissertation was in the field of Sacramental Theology and dealt with Anglican and Methodist understandings of the doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. Essential elements of Neal's work on this subject have been re-drafted into readable English and published in his book: Grace Upon Grace: Sacramental Theology and the Christian Life, which is now in its second edition.
Ministry Credentials and Pastoral History:
Rev. Neal is the Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines, Iowa. A clergy member of the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, he was ordained a transitional Deacon in 1991 and an Elder ("Presbyter") in 1994 by the Reverend Dr. Bruce P. Blake, then-resident Bishop of the Dallas Episcopal Area. While trained as a theologian and Christian educator, Dr. Neal is called to the pastoral ministry of the Church of Jesus Christ. During his 30+ years in ministry he has served as an Associate and Senior Pastor at several United Methodist Churches in North Carolina, North Texas, and now Iowa.
Dr. Neal's years of ministry in North Texas have been full and fruitful. His bishops have appointed him to churches that have been all over the theological spectrum, from conservative to progressive and formal to contemporary. He has served a few small town-and-country churches, two inner-city churches, three suburban churches, and a vibrant university church. While some of the churches he has served have been flourishing, others were struggling with financial difficulties or were divided and dysfunctional. As a trouble-shooter and problem-solver, Greg has been particularly successful at helping conflicted and fractured congregations to forge lasting and meaningful reconciliations between estranged groups, while expanding their ministries to those outside the church doors.
Activities:
In addition to his pastoral duties in the local church, Rev. Neal has served on several boards and committees of the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, including five District Committees on Ordained Ministry, the Ecumenical Ministries Commission, and the Conference Planning Committee. He has served for many years as a district and conference statistician, written extensively for the Conference newspaper, and been a mentor-pastor for many young clergy.
Beyond these District and Conference responsibilities, Dr. Neal has also been involved in several mission, ministry, and educational initiatives at the denominational-level: from 1994 - 2006 he taught in the Schools of Christian Mission in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Virginia, while also serving as Dean of the North Texas Mission School from 1996-1998. Since 1997 he has been involved with the Walk to Emmaus, a ministry of the Upper Room, serving as Spiritual Director for innumerable weekend retreats and as the Community Spiritual Director for the Red River and Dallas Emmaus Communities. Since its adoption in 2004 as the official position of the UMC on the meaning and practice of the Lord's Supper, he has taught This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion to numerous lay and clergy groups across the denomination. In 2013 Greg served on the UMC's Consultation on Online Communion, authoring several articles on the theology of, and his experience with, the practice. As a popular speaker on many Biblical and theological subjects, including sacramental theology, he has lead spiritual retreats, revivals, classes, and study seminars for groups all across The United Methodist Church and in other denominations. Dr. Neal is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Wesleyan/Anglican Society, and The Order of Saint Luke in The United Methodist Church. His love of liturgy, the sacraments, and the contemplative life, as well as his keen interest in the ecumenical movement, led to his being invited to become the first United Methodist Associate of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, an Anglican Monastic community which has spiritually fed him for 33 years.
The Reverend Dr. Gregory S. Neal is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with the B.A. in History, Religious Studies, and Russian Language; Duke Divinity with the M.Div. in Theology and Biblical Studies; and Trinity Graduate College with the Ph.D in Systematic Theology and New Testament Textual Criticism. His doctoral dissertation was in the field of Sacramental Theology and dealt with Anglican and Methodist understandings of the doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. Essential elements of Neal's work on this subject have been re-drafted into readable English and published in his book: Grace Upon Grace: Sacramental Theology and the Christian Life, which is now in its second edition.
Ministry Credentials and Pastoral History:
Rev. Neal is the Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines, Iowa. A clergy member of the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, he was ordained a transitional Deacon in 1991 and an Elder ("Presbyter") in 1994 by the Reverend Dr. Bruce P. Blake, then-resident Bishop of the Dallas Episcopal Area. While trained as a theologian and Christian educator, Dr. Neal is called to the pastoral ministry of the Church of Jesus Christ. During his 30+ years in ministry he has served as an Associate and Senior Pastor at several United Methodist Churches in North Carolina, North Texas, and now Iowa.
Dr. Neal's years of ministry in North Texas have been full and fruitful. His bishops have appointed him to churches that have been all over the theological spectrum, from conservative to progressive and formal to contemporary. He has served a few small town-and-country churches, two inner-city churches, three suburban churches, and a vibrant university church. While some of the churches he has served have been flourishing, others were struggling with financial difficulties or were divided and dysfunctional. As a trouble-shooter and problem-solver, Greg has been particularly successful at helping conflicted and fractured congregations to forge lasting and meaningful reconciliations between estranged groups, while expanding their ministries to those outside the church doors.
Activities:
In addition to his pastoral duties in the local church, Rev. Neal has served on several boards and committees of the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, including five District Committees on Ordained Ministry, the Ecumenical Ministries Commission, and the Conference Planning Committee. He has served for many years as a district and conference statistician, written extensively for the Conference newspaper, and been a mentor-pastor for many young clergy.
Beyond these District and Conference responsibilities, Dr. Neal has also been involved in several mission, ministry, and educational initiatives at the denominational-level: from 1994 - 2006 he taught in the Schools of Christian Mission in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Virginia, while also serving as Dean of the North Texas Mission School from 1996-1998. Since 1997 he has been involved with the Walk to Emmaus, a ministry of the Upper Room, serving as Spiritual Director for innumerable weekend retreats and as the Community Spiritual Director for the Red River and Dallas Emmaus Communities. Since its adoption in 2004 as the official position of the UMC on the meaning and practice of the Lord's Supper, he has taught This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion to numerous lay and clergy groups across the denomination. In 2013 Greg served on the UMC's Consultation on Online Communion, authoring several articles on the theology of, and his experience with, the practice. As a popular speaker on many Biblical and theological subjects, including sacramental theology, he has lead spiritual retreats, revivals, classes, and study seminars for groups all across The United Methodist Church and in other denominations. Dr. Neal is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Wesleyan/Anglican Society, and The Order of Saint Luke in The United Methodist Church. His love of liturgy, the sacraments, and the contemplative life, as well as his keen interest in the ecumenical movement, led to his being invited to become the first United Methodist Associate of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, an Anglican Monastic community which has spiritually fed him for 33 years.
Dr. Neal is married to Kade Rogers, who is a motivational speaker, a specialist in Communications and Administration, an accomplished singer/songwriter, a podcast developer, a voice talent, and an activist for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in The United Methodist Church. How he managed to find time to marry Greg is still a mystery.
Together, they enjoy going to movies, plays, and concerts, watching a wide variety of TV shows, domestic and international travel, eating out and cooking at home. Passionate animal lovers, they each brought fur-children into their marriage: four dogs (a Basset, two Chihuahuas, and a Miniature Pincher) and one embattled cat. Over the past few years they have engaged in ministry together in the local church and the LGBTQ community, each complimenting the gifts and graces of the other.
Following their wedding in 2022, a complaint was filed against Dr. Neal for being married and he was suspended from his pastoral ministry. The complaint was eventually placed in abeyance, and after several months of prayer and discernment Greg accepted an invitation from the Iowa Annual Conference to become the Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines.
Personal Life:
Dr. Neal is married to Kade Rogers, who is a motivational speaker, a specialist in Communications and Administration, an accomplished singer/songwriter, a podcast developer, a voice talent, and an activist for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in The United Methodist Church. How he managed to find time to marry Greg is still a mystery.
Together, they enjoy going to movies, plays, and concerts, watching a wide variety of TV shows, domestic and international travel, eating out and cooking at home. Passionate animal lovers, they each brought fur-children into their marriage: four dogs (a Basset, two Chihuahuas, and a Miniature Pincher) and one embattled cat. Over the past few years they have engaged in ministry together in the local church and the LGBTQ community, each complimenting the gifts and graces of the other.
Following their wedding in 2022, a complaint was filed against Dr. Neal for being married and he was suspended from his pastoral ministry. The complaint was eventually placed in abeyance, and after several months of prayer and discernment Greg accepted an invitation from the Iowa Annual Conference to become the Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines.
Dr. Neal is married to Kade Rogers, who is a motivational speaker, a specialist in Communications and Administration, an accomplished singer/songwriter, a podcast developer, a voice talent, and an activist for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in The United Methodist Church. How he managed to find time to marry Greg is still a mystery.
Together, they enjoy going to movies, plays, and concerts, watching a wide variety of TV shows, domestic and international travel, eating out and cooking at home. Passionate animal lovers, they each brought fur-children into their marriage: four dogs (a Basset, two Chihuahuas, and a Miniature Pincher) and one embattled cat. Over the past few years they have engaged in ministry together in the local church and the LGBTQ community, each complimenting the gifts and graces of the other.
Following their wedding in 2022, a complaint was filed against Dr. Neal for being married and he was suspended from his pastoral ministry. The complaint was eventually placed in abeyance, and after several months of prayer and discernment Greg accepted an invitation from the Iowa Annual Conference to become the Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines.