Gray was a parish priest for thirty-eight years, thirty-one spent as the rector of a suburban Atlanta parish. Fifteen people entered Holy Orders during Gray's ministry. During his service in two dioceses he did all the diocesan things – Standing Committees, summer camps, diocesan commissions and task forces, episcopal search committees, various chaplaincies, coördination of mission congregations etc.
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He got accredited in Human Relations Training in the 60’s and 70’s and was in wide demand as a trainer/consultant.
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He got trained in Polarity Management, Open Space Technology, and Appreciative Inquiry.
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He was a Stewardship consultant and keynoter at national Stewardship gatherings.
Gray’s parishes remain well-known for vibrant worship, robust outreach and mission projects, and widely-distributed lay-ministries.
Gray's pursuit of excellence led him in several fruitful directions:
Gray's Christian discipleship has led him to chair two urban projects devoted to public housing residents and to men dying of AIDS. It has led him into the thick of his denomination's wranglings about the sacramental status of gay and lesbian people, and led him to serve as coach/consultant to a controversial non-profit organization caring for homeless people. Those passions infuse Gray's writings.
His spiritual hunger led him into spiritual direction, both as a recipient and as a provider. For the last number of years, Gray has served clergy of several denominations as spiritual director and mentor.
In addition to conferences and some widely publicized debates, Gray is the author of several books, articles. and chapters in the books of others.
His hobbies include listening to classical music, playing blues guitar, stone sculpture, reading (bad fiction and good poetry), writing (good prose and bad poetry), white-water kayaking, and travel. He is married to Jean, a psychotherapist in private practice. They have two grown sons and two grandsons.
