Bishop Stephen B. Hall Sr.

The Life and Legacy of Bishop Stephen B. Hall, Sr. Bishop Stephen Bernard Hall, Sr., a beloved husband, father, brother, pastor, and friend, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Monday, March 2, 2020. After a courageous fight with Pancreatic cancer, Bishop Hall, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away to glory at the age of fifty-four, surrounded by his family. Stephen Hall was born August 1, 1965, in Englewood, New Jersey, to Reverend Edward and Anna Hall. He was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, in the inner-city neighborhood of Vine City. He began his lifelong call of preaching at the age of fifteen. He traveled the country and abroad, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a sought-after vessel and voice of God. He was licensed and ordained by his father, at his childhood church home, Mt. Gilead Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He began pastoring at eighteen years old at Chapel Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He served as pastor fifteen years at Rhema Christian Fellowship in Athens, Georgia. All three churches remained near and dear to his heart throughout his life and ministry. On July 28, 1994, he married the love of his life, Vanessa Morris, with whom he raised a family and shared in ministry. His immense love for her was deeply admired from near and far. Together, they traveled the world, hosted marriage events, and wrote a book, Space and Grace to Build a Bigger and Better Marriage. Their beautiful example of marriage has guided thousands of couples towards faithful, loving and happy marriages through practical and experiential teachings. In 2002, he founded The RhemaNation Church, currently located in Lithonia, Georgia. “Structure, Excellence and Excitement” (The S.E.E. Method) describes the experience that Bishop Hall developed through The RhemaNation Church, which is unequivocally “a church after positive results and not paralyzing religion”. He affectionately called Rhema “the greatest church on this side of heaven,” and often proclaimed that there was no other place he’d rather pastor. He greatly loved his church, and considered each and every member an extension of his family and his heart. He was a proud product of the Atlanta Public School System, where he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. His post-secondary pursuits included a bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Religious Studies from Canyon College, a Master of Divinity from Trinity College, and a Ph.D. in Christian Clinical Counseling from International Theological Seminary. He was a devoted member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc, and a charter member of the Sigma Delta Sigma chapter in Georgia. In September of 2009, he was consecrated to the office of State Bishop of Georgia in the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, under the leadership of Founder, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr. He also served as the Bishop of Marriage and Family, under the leadership of Presiding Bishop Joseph W. Walker III, until his death. In 2009, he was also inducted into the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College. Bishop Hall was universally recognized as a visionary, innovator, and organizer with superior and uncommon leadership qualities. Not only did he provide guidance to the pastoral staff and associate ministers at The RhemaNation, he also fulfilled his God-given mandate to serve as a “Pastor’s Pastor.” He developed pastoral relationships nationally, and provided guidance as a spiritual father to The House of Issachar, a fellowship of his pastoring sons and daughters in ministry. Not only was he a man in authority, he was a man under authority. He proudly submitted to the leadership of his Pastor and Spiritual Father, Bishop James H. Morton, Sr., Pastor of New Beginning Full Gospel Baptist Church in Decatur, GA. Bishop Hall is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Anna Hall, his brothers, Mark Hall and Edward Hall Jr., and his sister Pearl Barrett. He leaves to cherish his memories, his devoted wife, Vanessa Hall; three children Stephen Jr. (April) and Anthony of Atlanta, Ga; Ember (Kregg) of Covington, Ga, niece who was like a daughter Kaye (Tiger) of Atlanta, Ga; sisters Jacqueline (Willie) Harris of Athens, Ga and Karen (Calvin) Goolsbee of Houston, TX, and Ruby Wilson of Detroit, MI; one brother Jeffrey (Katie) Hall of Detroit, MI; cousin, nephew, and nieces that were raised with him as siblings Adrick (Crystal) Hall of Conyers, Ga, Timothy (Shona) Foster of Athens, GA, Kelly (Jimmy) Lever of Canton, OH and Narlisha (Ray) Steward of Detroit, GA; sisters-in-love Sharon Carey, Angela Morris, Charna Morris, Demetrius Morris, Eulah Swinney and Beulah Thomas of Atlanta, GA, and Pastor Daisy Hall (Mark) of Athens, Ga; seven grandchildren Stephen III, Karter, Brooklyn, Konnor, Sebastian, Kason, Kooper, and was anticipating the birth of his eighth grandchild, Sincere later this year; godchildren Sheena Evans, Chris Collier and Tameka Jackson; godmother Mable “Dolly Lucy” Medley of Hackensack, NJ; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, his beloved church family at The RhemaNation Church and many friends throughout the world. Bishop Stephen B. Hall’s life and legacy lives on through not only those blessed enough to have known him, but through those he inspired, and through his planted seeds that will bear fruit for generations to come.

Bishop Stephen B. Hall Sr.

August 1, 1965 - March 2, 2020