W. Grant McMurray (born July 12, 1947) was

Prophet-President In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed succe ...

Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is an American-based international church, and is the second-largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. The churc ...

from 1996 until 2004. He was the first non-descendant of

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

to head the church, and under his administration, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church) changed its name to Community of Christ.

Biography

William Grant McMurray was born in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, Canada, to parents who were members of the RLDS Church. He lived in Toronto until his teenage years, when his family moved to

Independence, Missouri Independence is the fifth-largest city in Missouri and the county seat of Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson County. Independence is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro ...

, where his mother accepted employment at the church headquarters of the RLDS Church.

Peggy Fletcher Stack Peggy Fletcher Stack is an American journalist, editor, and author. Stack has been the lead religion writer for '' The Salt Lake Tribune'' since 1991. She and five other journalists at the ''Salt Lake Tribune'' won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Loca ...

, "RLDS Head Downplays His Role as a Prophet", ''

Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History A ...

'', 1996-06-29, p. D1. He attended

Graceland College Graceland University is a private university with campuses in Lamoni, Iowa, and Independence, Missouri. The university offers degree completion and master's degree programs at satellite campuses in Centerville and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Trento ...

and St. Paul School of Theology in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, where he earned a master's degree in theology, making McMurray the first president of the RLDS Church who was trained at a seminary. In 1973, McMurray began employment with the historical department of the RLDS Church. In 1982, he became the church's World Church Secretary, and in 1992, he became a member of the

First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...

as a counselor to church president Wallace B. Smith. In 1995, Smith announced his retirement and named McMurray as his successor; it was the first time that a non-descendant of church-founder

had been named to head the church.

McMurray's presidency and legacy

McMurray became the president of the church in 1996. In 1997, McMurray called upon what was RLDS Church to transform itself by articulating a Christ-centered theology of peace. In 2001, the church changed its name to Community of Christ, evoking the original name of the church "

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16. * The entire body of Ch ...

," affirming the centrality of Christ to the church, and commemorating the Latter Day Saint movement's long-held tradition of building up " Zionic communities". McMurray presided over the first ordination of a woman to the office of

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

in the Council of Twelve. He also led the Community of Christ to a closer fraternal (but not doctrinal) relationship with

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

, building both friendly relations and collaborative historical efforts.

McMurray's resignation

On November 29, 2004, McMurray resigned as president of the church.

"Head of former RLDS Church unexpectedly steps down"
''

'', December 3, 2004.Carrie A. Moore
"Leader resigns presidency of ex-RLDS Church"
''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'', December 3, 2004. McMurray resignation letter stated, "However, along the way I have made some inappropriate choices, and the circumstances of my life are now such that I cannot continue to effectively lead the church. I deeply regret the difficulties that this causes for the church I love." The letter also later stated that he had recently been diagnosed with early onset

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

but his health was not a motivating factor to his resignation. When later interviewed regarding his resignation letter, McMurray stated "Beyond that, it's an entirely personal and family matter and the letter says what I felt I needed to say." A joint council of church leaders led by the Council of Twelve Apostles announced in March 2005 the name of Stephen M. Veazey as Prophet-President designate. Veazey had been serving as president of the Council of Twelve. Delegates elected to a special World Conference of the church approved Veazey and he was ordained to the presidency on June 3, 2005.Stephen M. Veazey
, cofchrist.org, accessed March 2, 2008.

References

External links

*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McMurray, W. Grant 1947 births Apostles of the Community of Christ Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian members of the Community of Christ Doctrine and Covenants people Graceland University alumni Historians of the Latter Day Saint movement Living people Members of the First Presidency (Community of Christ) Prophet-Presidents of the Community of Christ People from Independence, Missouri People from Toronto People with Parkinson's disease Saint Paul School of Theology alumni Canadian Christian religious leaders Religious leaders from Missouri Canadian leaders of the Community of Christ

Biography

McMurray's presidency and legacy

McMurray's resignation

See also

References

External links