Pastor Edgar Gray, Jr.

1st Administrative Assistant Edgar Gray, Jr. was called from labor to reward and received his Crown of Righteousness on Friday morning, March 22, 2019.

Born on October 15, 1933, Pastor Edgar Gray, Jr. was the second child blessed to the union of Deacon Edgar Gray, Sr. and Naomi Triplett Gray in Ada. The Edgar Gray Family would grow to include six sons and three daughters. The Gray Children grew up under the watchful eyes of their maternal grandparents, Deacon Tollie Wilson and Missionary Luticia Jones Wilson. The Wilsons lived just a few blocks away and were very instrumental during Pastor Gray’s formative years in the Ada Church of God Christ.

Pastor Gray was very active in his local church as young man and accepted the Lord as his personal savior at a young age. He was converted in 1950, later filled with the Holy Ghost and then called into the ministry in 1951 and preached his first message.

Minister Gray went on to graduate from Napier High School in Ada, Oklahoma in 1951. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1952; served four years and received an honorable discharge. He went onto serve an additional 2 years in the Naval Reserves. It was as an enlisted man that he met his first wife, Mary Bonaparte Gray, married, began a family and settled in the Pacific Northwest.

Before the untimely death of Mary in 1964, the Gray Family was blessed with five children: the late Carol Rene Gray, Nancy Michelle Gray, Altoona Regina Gray, Michael Aaron Gray and the late Edgar Leon Gray. Pastor Gray married Gladine Knauls Gray in 1966 and this union was blessed with two sons; Paul Anthony Gray and Wesley Jennings Gray.

Washington State is also where Pastor Gray came under the leadership of Bishop Van Goodlow; it is where he was ordained as an Elder (1967) and it is where he preached out his first church in Everett, Washington in July 1967. He was appointed as Pastor of Madison Temple in 1970 by Bishop T.J. Kinlow and remained in that position until his death. Pastor Gray always pursued excellence in the scriptures and in secular education. Although busy raising seven children and fulfilling the role of shepherd to a thriving church membership, Pastor Gray graduated from the University of Washington in 1977 with a BA in History and Education.

Pastor Gray thrived in church work at the local level, the district level as well as the jurisdiction. He was appointed as jurisdictional secretary in 1973 and District Superintendent of District #1 in 2001. He loved to tell his young ministers how he had met and been so impacted by meeting Bishop Charles Mason in 1939. He lived to attend Holy Convocation in Washington State and in his beloved Memphis, Tennessee. He loved to worship with the saints.

He served on Washington State Ordination Board 1972-1975, served as the Dean of the Washington State Chapter of Charles H. Mason System of Bible Colleges, 1980-1982, and was appointed by the General Secretary, Elder A.Z. Hall to Regional Coordinator of Region # 18, 2004-219. He has been the longest serving secretary in church history from 1973-2019- 46 years. Pastor Edgar Gray, Jr. was a great man of the Church of God In Christ!

Pastor Edgar Gray, Jr. was a true servant of the Lord. He leaves a legacy of honesty, faithfulness, loved, goodness- Love of God, Love of Family, Love of his dear wife, Gladine. He kept the faith and he finished his course.

1st Administrative Assistant Edgar Gray, Jr. was preceded in death by his father Edgar Gray, Sr., his mother, Naomi Triplett Gray, his grandparents, wife Mary Virginia Gray, daughter, Carol Rene’ Chappell; son, Edgar Leon Gray; sisters, Clemmie Williams and Ruth Lewis; brothers: Elder Tollie Gray, Rev. William E. Gray, Deacon Harvey S. Gray and Henry I. Gray.

He leaves to cherish his memory wife, Gladine K. Gray, sisters: Martha Collins, Eva Gordon, daughters: Nancy Mohammed, Regina Hardy, sons: Michael Gray (TJ), Paul Gray (Sarah) and Wesley Gray (Anne); daughter-in-law Zelda Gray, 14 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

Now the labourer's task is over;

Now the battle day is past;

Now upon the farther shore

Lands the voyager at last.

Father, in Thy gracious keeping

Leave me now thy servant sleeping.

-John Ellerton

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