Managing the Year of Endurance Pastor Vanessa R. Hall

With a lifelong story of resilience, Pastor Vanessa Hall is once again forging a new path. After the untimely death of her husband of 26 years, Bishop Stephen B. Hall, Pastor Hall finds herself reconstructing a life she never imagined. As she continues to seek God’s guidance through the grieving process, she now moves forward in her new assignment as the Senior Pastor of The RhemaNation Church, using God-given wisdom with each step she takes. Her resolve did not come easily, and in fact, remains to be fully seen.

According to Pastor Hall, the process is steady. “I take it one day at a time,” she proclaims. Despite what others may think or feel, she moves ahead at her own pace, refusing to allow boundaries to be placed on her healing. She also makes her intention clear to press forward. Of course, defining her new role as a Senior Pastor of the church comes with challenges. “Pastoring in a pandemic is no joke!” she exclaims. She was thrust into the position in March of 2020. Her church – a thriving, charismatic body, had just purchased and moved into a new building, and almost immediately, not only were they burdened with the loss of their Pastor, Bishop Hall, but also with the shutting of the physical doors of the church, due to COVID-19. “This is my introduction to Pastoring, Lord?” Pastor Hall questioned. In addition to leading uncharted efforts to transition to a virtual church, she had to overcome the natural challenges of a church in transition. She was known as “Co-Pastor” and “First Lady” for as long as she was married; so, there are a few, sometimes confidence-shaking perceptions that she overcomes daily. “The devil will try you!” she states. “Can I do this? Will the people remain? Am I worthy? But I know that God’s answer is an emphatic ‘Yes!’, because I am here, she says, recounting a conversation where her daughter Ember, encouraged her to “just show up, and God will take it from there”.

Pastor Hall’s foundation is strong. She was raised in a two-parent home, with six other rambunctious girls. The fond memories of hardworking parents are coupled with the knowledge that unavoidable daily responsibilities did not stop simply because she had gone to bed. On occasion, she would be awakened from a deep sleep to complete chores. This training from her parents created a work ethic “to never stop until the job was done.” She has carried this mentality throughout her life. Growing up in the loving fondness of a grounded home-life was also supported by the training gained from her storefront Pentecostal family church. Through this Pastor Hall was given a focused indoctrination of God’s word that she would never turn her back on.

Reminiscing on her upbringing, she retorts “I believe Proverbs 22:6 wholeheartedly, that if you train a child the right way, those lessons will forever be ingrained – even in times of questionable decision making.” This was made evident in her life after she left home as a young girl, because despite the lessons and examples she had growing up, she would soon make decisions that had lasting effects. Young Vanessa had a liking for “bad boys”, and more specifically ones who engaged in the underground economy, with the means to provide her with finer things in life. “By the age of 25, I had traveled the world, owned exotic sports cars, and lived in luxury homes not even my upper crust middle class parents could afford at the time.” That lifestyle had dire consequences, however, as two significant others of her past were both killed in connection to their illicit activities. The last one – the biological father of her son Anthony – died when she was only three months pregnant. “I knew I needed a change in my surroundings – if not for me, then definitely for my baby.” So, she pressed forward, building her life the next few years as a career driven, single mother. She ultimately used these real-life experiences of her youth to minister to young women desiring a way out of her former lifestyle.

Pastor Hall’s life would dramatically change one day in 1993 while walking in downtown Atlanta where she happened to look into the window of an IHOP. She saw a tall, 6’2” brown-skinned man dressed as if he was prepared to handle a corporate bank deal. She feels it was God’s voice that told her to go inside IHOP. “I just knew he was something special when I saw his shoes. They were sharp!” she remembers. “Someone once said to me, ‘when a man puts money in his shoes; he’ll put money on you,’ she whimsically states. She had asked a mutual friend, who also happened to be there, to introduce her to the sharp-dressed man. They exchanged information and chatted endlessly. The dapper man later came to Pastor her workplace and started the conversation with an unexpected admission: “You know what?” he asked. “What you saw me wearing that day in IHOP came from a better time in my life. I don't have anything now. But one day I will have more, and it will be with you. It will be you and I against the world.” Pastor Hall joyfully reflected on that day “The Lord tricked me!” She laughed. “He had me look at his shoes to grab my attention, because if I had known he didn't have a thing, I’m not sure I would have done something so out of my character to approach and introduce myself to my future husband.”

Eleven months after the couple met, they became husband and wife. Married 26 years, Bishop Stephen and Vanessa Hall were inseparable. A quick search on YouTube or Google will reveal that Bishop Hall was a giant of a personality, and well-sought evangelist who traveled the country preaching the gospel with his unique and charismatic delivery. Pastor Hall traveled most of the time with him, in fact she estimates that about 95 percent of their time (or greater) were spent together. “We just liked being around each other.” Recounting a time when Bishop Hall sadly declined a preaching engagement from a church that specifically requested that he come without her, “We were a package deal, and he never allowed anyone to discount my presence in his life” she states. That sincere love and fondness became the foundation of their ministry together. Their union resulted in a blended family: Pastor Vanessa had her son Anthony, Bishop Stephen Hall had his son Stephen Jr., and they later adopted Ember. Together, they founded The RhemaNation Church, where she served 15 years as Co-Pastor. They wrote a book, Space and Grace to Build a Bigger and Better Marriage, a guide to lead couples on the path of faithful, loving and happy marriages through practical and experiential teachings. They also jointly led the international division of Marriage and Family, a major pillar in The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. Bishop Hall was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer in November of 2019. Three months later he succumbed to the disease. “It all happened so quickly,” she laments. “But it was my honor to care for him through it all, just as he had cared for me our entire lives together.”

Although she would never imagine then, she now realizes that all those years were God-ordained on-the-job training. She may be new as a lead pastor, however, her work in the ministry, pastoring, community engagement, and interactions with God’s people were cultivated through all those years walking beside the man of God.

More insight from Pastor Hall’s story of triumph comes by way of a beautiful and transparent conversation:

What insight do you have to help other women who are married to a legacy? “Be who God called YOU to be. Though emotionally taxing at times, it's not difficult for me to carry forward the legacy of Bishop Stephen B. Hall, because I am not trying to be Bishop Stephen B. Hall 2.0. He cannot be imitated. At first, I thought I had to be all that he was. It didn’t take long for me to realize I cannot walk in his shoes. They don’t fit me. So, I move forward, keeping his memory alive, making sure the world knows who he was, but also being clear about who I am.

In hindsight, just hearing his voice in my head, I remember when he told me in so many words that this day would come. He would say things like, “your time is coming”, and I guess I didn’t understand the prophecy in those words. Ultimately, being true to God’s word in a way that people relate to, and loving God’s people the way we always did as a unit, will help in carrying on Bishop’s legacy”.

How do you move in your new normal with the weight of onlookers watching your every move? “I pray fervently, ‘God, I need wisdom in every area of my life.’ I know he will never lead me astray. And despite what others may think or feel, I have also given myself permission to grieve. I have lost loved ones before – significant others, my mother and father, grandparents, etc. I would keep moving, because, in my mind, I had to. I didn't have time to process what was happening in my life, because I still had to be a mother, a co-pastor, a friend, an employee and more to everyone else in my life. But coming into the loss of my beloved husband, my best friend and love of my life, it hit differently. It has literally stopped me in my tracks. I have had to seek professional counseling. Sadly, in the Christian and African American communities, some people think if you go to a counselor, you’re crazy. Not true. I needed someone to help me process my grief as well as help me to move forward to embrace my passion and purpose. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

So, I simply let onlookers look. And what they will find is a woman – a mother who loves her children and grandmother, a pastor who loves her church, a woman who is about her business – but one who still is in mourning. No one can define when I should be ‘okay’. I will continue to show up, be the best me I can be, and I believe God will show himself strong in my efforts”.

What is your position in the marketplace and what is your inspiration to follow that calling? “In addition to pastoring my beloved, RhemaNation Church, I have a business that I am just as passionate about. What many people don’t know is that I love making things pretty. So, interior design is a gift and talent that I am exploring more and more each day. I love the challenge of working on a dime. Meaning, give me any budget—and I will make it work for you. I know a lot of people who don't have a lot of money though they desire to have an interior designer enhance their home. Long before the show Design on a Dime came out, doing so was a dream of mine. I am available to make home interior spaces look beautiful and clients will not have to spend a lot of money”.

Who are you, what three words define you? “Strong – Nurturer – Resilient”

2020 was indeed a year of endurance for Pastor Vanessa Hall. Living a new normal has required her to rediscover who she is outside of the legacy of her husband. With a renewed brightness of life after loss, Pastor Vanessa Hall learned to do things differently. In addition to pastoring and ministering the Gospel, she now explores more things that she has a passion for. Through the continual prayer for wisdom, she has given herself the permission to grieve, regardless of the process that extends beyond the expectations of people who don’t know the path of grief. When asked what advice she would give to women going through any degree of tragedy, she states: “Accept what God allows, but don’t let it stop you. You absolutely must keep going!” Remembering the lessons instilled in her throughout her life, she pushes, “don’t stop until the job is done. While others may read yours as a story of tragedy, it’s your job to keep going until it’s one of triumph”.

The RhemaNation, “a church after positive results and not paralyzing religion.”

Instagram - @pastorvhall - Facebook - Vanessa Hall www.therhemanation.org pastor@therhemanation.org

Biography

PASTOR VANESSA R. HALL

Vanessa Hall, a native of Atlanta Georgia, is Senior Pastor of The RhemaNation Church in Lithonia, Georgia. She serves in several capacities as an exemplary leader and woman of integrity, style and grace.

Pastor Hall is one of God's select gifts to the Body of Christ. She is an anointed, prophetic teacher of the Word, who specializes in teaching, encouraging, and guiding people to a more intimate relationship with Christ, and to advance the Kingdom of God through service within and beyond their inner circles.

After hearing the clarion call of God, and accepting the untimely death of her husband of 26 years, Bishop Stephen B. Hall, Pastor Hall was elevated from Co-Pastor to Senior Pastor of the RhemaNation Church. She celebrates this assignment from God and continues to work within the realm of His assigned places, as she continues her transition from mourning, back to ministry.

As host of an annual Women’s Conference and Retreat, she ministers to women from around the country with a restored mantle of love, great expectations and healing.

She is also Founder and Publisher of Elect Lady Magazine, a national faith-based women’s magazine founded on Christian principles and Godly standards of excellence, and on the belief that it is God's desire for every woman to be all that He created her to be. ELM was designed to provide an upscale media outlet that empowers, encourages, and exhilarates women of all ages and ethnic influences to be leaders in every area of their lives.

While obligations to ministerial commitments are a priority, Pastor Hall ensures that her other covenant relationships are well maintained. She is the proud mother to her three children, Ember, Stephen Jr., and Anthony, eight grandchildren, and is an inspiration to many as she seeks to empower those connected to her to be effective and efficient kingdom builders.