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