Thomas Kreider "Tom" Ray (May 24, 1934 - February 6, 2018) was the ninth bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (TEC) with canonical jurisdiction in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. History Initially part of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, ...

Early life and education

Ray was born on May 24, 1934, in Barberton, Ohio. He studied at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, where he met his future wife Brenda Lee Ackerman and who married in 1959. An also attended the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Communi ...

, and graduated in 1959. He was awarded a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

from the

in 1984.

Ordained ministry and bishop

Ray was ordained deacon on June 20, 1959, by Bishop

Benjamin M. Washburn Benjamin Martin Washburn (June 1, 1887 – October 16, 1966) was an American prelate who served as the fifth bishop of Newark in The Episcopal Church. Early life and education Washburn was born on June 1, 1887, in Bethel, Vermont, United States. ...

and priest on December 23, 1959, by Bishop Francis Lickfield. He served as canon at St Mark's Cathedral in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

, Crown Point, Indiana, and Gethsemane Church in

Marion, Indiana Marion is a city in Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,948 as of the 2010 United States Census. The city is the county seat of Grant County. It is named for Francis Marion, a brigadier general from South Carolina in the ...

. In 1971 he became rector of St Luke's Church in

Evanston, Illinois Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...

. Ray was elected Bishop of Northern Michigan on the second ballot on February 6, 1982, during a special diocesan convention. He was consecrated on August 21, 1982. He was an advocate of women's rights, gay rights, and Mutual Ministry. He retired in 1999. Ray died on February 6, 2018, at the age of 83, three days after his wife's death.

References

External links

Ray Consecrated In Northern Michigan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Thomas Kreider 2018 deaths General Theological Seminary alumni People from Barberton, Ohio 1934 births 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Northern Michigan