Third Gray to be Recognized as Bishop of Mississippi
Episcopal News Service. February 3, 2003 [2003-021-4]
The Rt. Rev. Alfred Clark Marble Jr., eighth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, will pass his crozier to the Rt. Rev. Duncan Montgomery Gray III during a service of recognition and investiture at the conclusion of the 176th Annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, Sunday, February 9, 2003. Gray assumes his duties as the third generation in his family to lead the Episcopal church in Mississippi. While other dioceses of the Episcopal Church have seen father-son successions in the lines of the episcopate, no other diocese can claim such a unique group of clergymen.
Gray III succeeds Marble, who has served as diocesan since 1993. Marble succeeded Duncan M. Gray Jr., who served as diocesan from 1974 until 1993. Gray Jr., succeeded John Maury Allin, who was elected presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in 1973. Allin succeeded Duncan M. Gray, who served as bishop from 1943 until 1966.
All three Bishops Gray have deep ties to Mississippi. Gray Jr., Gray III, and Gray Sr.'s father-in-law, the Rev. Edward McCrady, all served St. Peter's, Oxford. The Duncan M. Gray Camp and Conference Center (popularly known as Camp Bratton-Green and simply, 'Gray Center') flourished under their leadership.
And all three Bishops Gray have worked in the diocese towards racial reconciliation. 'God made us for these times and God made these times for us,' were the words of Gray Sr. at the 135th Annual Council in January, 1962. Shortly thereafter, Gray Jr., then rector of St. Peter's, Oxford, lived out these words as he and his chaplain, the Rev. Wofford Smith, attempted to bring peace and reason to the riots on the campus of the University of Mississippi--'Ole Miss'--on September 30 of that year. Most recently, Gray III has worked closely with Marble and a diocesan task force on racial reconciliation to plan a series of homecomings and celebrations at the four historically black Episcopal churches in Mississippi.