Alan Neale is not only a inspirational Reverend but a phenomenal person. Our decision to get married at The Church of the Holy Trinity led us to meeting Alan. He guided us into our journey of marriage with wisdom, compassion, humor and faith. My husband I come from Christian backgrounds and Reverend Neale really put a refreshing perspective on love, life and religion. He inspired us so much that we included him in our wedding program with the following thank you-
Reverend Alan Neale, Thank you for your spiritual guidance. You are not only a remarkable Reverend, but also an incredible person. We are so grateful for all you have given us. Those words still remain true and I encourage every couple to spend some time with him along their spiritual journey!

 

To Pastor Alan, we feel incredibly blessed to be one of the last weddings at which you officiate at CHT. Because of your welcoming arms, we’ve had a wonderful experience making CHT our church home! You have helped us redefine what is possible in a church and pastor. We wish you nothing but continued success in your retirement. We love you, Alan

 

 

 

Alan is an amazing leader and a true friend and counselor to our family. Alan is inspirational, funny and dynamic. I learned a lot from Alan through his sermons, guidance and example. It has been a privilege to get to know Alan during his years at CHT and we are sad to see him go.

 

 

Alan is a gifted life transition coach and spiritual counselor who has worked with thousands of individuals over the course of a multi-faceted 30-year career in ministry, nonprofit leadership, and counseling. He brings a rich mix of self-awareness, wisdom, humor, and humanity to every coaching and counseling engagement he has with others, from which many people have gained insight, strength, and hope.

 

As luck, or Providence, would have it, a very good friend of mine was my parochial priest for several years in Philadelphia. Originally he hails from England, as a Priest in the Church of England, educated at both London School of Economics and at Oxford in matters of theology. He since migrated to the Episcopal Church in the U.S. His name is Alan Neale, and he has elected to retire in May from parochial ministry at Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia. Alan has a brilliant intellect, a piercing search for the truth of God, a compassionate heart and is an outstanding homilist, with a posh accent. (W.T.)

 

My husband and I found Alan when we were looking for a church that would be open to marrying individuals from different Christian denominations. We found Alan’s pre-marital coaching to be insightful and eye-opening. He took the time to get to know us and our interests. He embraced our ideas for customizing the marriage service, and he delivered a thoughtful, funny and loving homily. We were so touched by Alan’s guidance that we returned to Philly from Boston so he could deliver a prayer of Thanksgiving for our newborn son.

 

Hi Alan! Thank YOU so very much for making our wedding ceremony more beautiful than we could have ever hoped for! I absolutely will add endorsements.
The following is a link to our 3 minute wedding video that catches parts of your ceremony speech: https://vimeo.com/115291947                           Thank you again for everything. 

 

While I was only in Philly for 2 years for my Masters, I found a true home at Trinity primarily thanks to Alan. At the age of 28, I finally felt called to be confirmed in that church and have missed it and Alan since the day I had to move. I could not live without his amazingly down-to-earth and insightful sermons, so I began to listen to them online. He’s such a powerful asset to the community and the church–I have lived in multiple places since Philly and I’ve not found any church leaders as inspirational (and inspired), passionate and connected to his people as Alan.

 

I found CHT and Alan during a difficult time in my life – I was a young single professional living in a city far away from family. I longed for not only emotional support but for a church home and leadership that challenged me intellectually and spiritually. From the first time I heard Alan during my first Sunday at CHT, I knew that I was on to something.
I quickly signed up for the new members group and was able to participate in many guided theological and real-life discussions about what it meant to be Episcopalian and a member of CHT. Alan led these discussions with compassion, insight, and an excellent dose of humor. This set the tone for all of our interactions over the next two years while I was a member of CHT. I have moved on to another city, otherwise I would still call this church my home!
Alan was a huge part of why CHT felt like just the “right fit” for me, and I felt I grew spiritually through conversation and listening on Sundays. I am grateful for his guidance and humility as a fellow member of the human race during a time in my life when I was trying to figure so much out. It’s lovely when the right church leader/spiritual leader comes into your life just when you need them!