DR. NEIL THOMAS

The Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas was Ordained to the Christian ministry in 1989 and elected as the Senior Pastor of Cathedral of Hope of Dallas, a congregation of the United Church of Christ with a primary outreach to the LGBTQ+ community, on April 12, 2015, following a year-long search. He began his tenure on June 3, 2015.

In 2015 he has been granted Privilege of Call in the United Church of Christ.

Prior to his arrival at Cathedral of Hope, Rev. Neil served as Senior Pastor of two Metropolitan Community Churches (MMC); MMC Bournemouth, England (1989-2002) and Founders Metropolitan Community Church, Los Angeles (2002-2015), the founding church of Metropolitan Community Churches, an international movement of churches reaching in and beyond the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, and inter-sex community.

A member of Metropolitan Community Churches since 1981, Rev. Neil has served in numerous denominational positions including Chair, Board of Ordained Ministries (European District); Member, Elder’s Task Force on Education; Member, European District Committee; Member, Board of Samaritan College in Europe; Supervising Pastor, and Ecumenical Officer. He has served on the Moderator’s Advising Team and consultant to the Office of Formation and Leadership Development.

As native of Bournemouth, England, Rev. Neil was born into the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints. His family left the Mormon Church in his early years. In his 20’s, he served as Chaplain to those dying from HIV/AIDS in the Bournemouth area, which led to being an advocate which continues to this day.

Rev. Neil is a sought-after speaker and contributor to local, national, and international conversations around the intersectionality of faith, color, gender, gender-identity, and sexual orientation.

Rev. Neil has been a leader with Faith Forward Dallas, which is a diverse coalition of Dallas’ faith leaders dedicated to service, hope, and a shared vision of peace and justice and serves as a moral compass for the North Texas Community.

Rev. Neil recently co-authored a book, “7 Principles for Living Bravely” about faith struggles during a pandemic. He is highly regarded in the LGBTQIA+ community not only locally but also throughout the country.

On a personal note, Rev. Neil is the father of a young daughter whom he adores.