Sidney G. Hall III

Sidney G. Hall, III is a writer, pastor, and activist. Since 1988, he has been the senior minister of Trinity United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas. He is described by friends and colleagues as a "social activist with the heart of a mystic."

Dr. Hall is the author of "Christian Anti-Semitism and Paul's Theology: A Christian Liberation Theology of the Jewish People" (Fortress Press, 1993) and is the co-author with Jim Harrington of "Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern: A Once and Future Meeting of Rumi, Meister Eckhart, and Moses de León in Medieval Venice" (Hamilton Books: An Imprint of Rowman & Littlefield, 2015). His scholarship has been cited in publications such as Peter Gomes's "The Good Book," Frederick Herzog's "New Birth of Conscience," Joerg Rieger's "Liberating the Future," Bill Bishop's "The Big Sort," and Kelly Turney's "Shaping Sanctuary," among many others. He has also contributed to online blogs, genealogy publications, as well as the Indiana Military History journal.

Hall is a national speaker in the areas of Holocaust Studies, LGBTQ Inclusion in the Church, Creation-Centered Mysticism, and Nature-based Ritual and Worship in the Church.

Among other awards, he is the recipient of the 1st annual Jewish Community Friendship Award by the Jewish Federation of Austin (1991), the Southwest Texas Conference of UMC Bishop's Ecumenical Award (2000), Metropolitan Community Church of Austin "Saint's Alive" Award (2002), and the Community Achievement Award for Justice by the Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action (2011). Hall has been featured in numerous magazine and newspaper articles, including The Advocate, Out, Open Hands, and Creation Spirituality. He and Trinity UMC were the focus of an article in Time Magazine (July 3, 2000) because of their leadership in the United Methodist Church regarding gay marriage.