Graham Cray

{{Short description|British Anglican bishop}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend | name = Graham Cray | title = Archbishops' Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions | church = Church of England | term = 2009–2014 | other_post = Bishop of Maidstone {{nowrap|(2001–2009)}}<br />Principal, Ridley Hall {{nowrap|(1992–2001)}}  | ordination = 1971 (deacon); 1972 (priest) | consecration = March 2001 | consecrated_by = George Carey  | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|4|21|df=y}} | religion = Anglican | parents = Alan & Doris | spouse = Jacqueline Webster (m. 1973) | children = Two daughters | occupation = | profession = | alma_mater = University of Leeds<br />St John's College, Nottingham }} '''Graham Alan Cray''' (born 21 April 1947) is a retired British Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Maidstone in the Diocese of Canterbury from 2001 to 2009, and was the Archbishops' Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions from 2009 to 2014.<ref>Crockford's On-line Accessed 8 June 2008.</ref>

==Early life and education== Cray grew up without his mother Doris, who killed herself when he was 8 years old. Cray was educated (gaining a Bachelor of Arts), at Leeds University<ref>"Cray, Graham Alan", ''Who's Who 2012'', A & C Black, 2012; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2011 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U12296], accessed 9 July 2012</ref> and St John's College, Nottingham.

==Ordained ministry== He began his ministry as a curate at St Mark's Church, Gillingham.<ref>[http://www.stmarkschurchgillingham.co.uk/ Church website]</ref> Cray later spent 14 years at St Michael-le-Belfrey in York (at first working with, and later succeeding, David Watson<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.essentialchristian.com/product_info.php?products_id=22513 |title=EssentialChristian.com : Four Gifts from God: Foundations for the Future |access-date=2008-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031182239/http://www.essentialchristian.com/product_info.php?products_id=22513 |archive-date=2006-10-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>) before becoming Principal of Ridley Hall theological college in Cambridge.<ref>Debrett's People of Today London, Debrett's, 2008 {{ISBN|978-1-870520-95-9}}</ref>

Cray was consecrated a bishop in March 2001. He served as the Bishop of Maidstone, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Canterbury, between 2001 and 2009.<ref name="WW17" /> In 2009, he was appointed to lead the Archbishops' (of Canterbury and of York) Fresh Expressions team.<ref>''Daily Telegraph'', p. 30, 17 November 2008.</ref> He retired from full-time ministry in 2014.<ref name="WW17">'CRAY, Rt Rev. Graham Alan', ''Who's Who 2017'', A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U12296 accessed 26 July 2017]</ref>

He is the Chairman of Soul Survivor. In 2024 Cray was subject to disciplinary action for failing to pass on information regarding allegations against Mike Pilavachi.

==References== {{reflist|30em}} {{Bishops of Maidstone}} {{Principals of Ridley Hall, Cambridge}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cray, Graham Alan}} Category:1947 births Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds Category:Living people Category:Bishops of Maidstone Category:Staff of Ridley Hall, Cambridge