Remembering Donald Gray, our chair at the millennium

We were very sorry to hear that Revd Canon Dr Donald Gray OBE, who chaired the Christian Evidence Society between 1992 and 2001, has died at the age of 95.

Gray worked in parish ministry in the Diocese of Manchester before becoming Rector of Liverpool and Honorary Canon of Liverpool Cathedral. From there, he went on to be a Canon of Westminster Abbey, the Rector of St Margaret’s Westminster, and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. For 20 years, he was a chaplain to the Queen.

Gray became chair of the Christian Evidence Society 12 years after it had been resurrected under the chairmanship of Bishop Richard Harries. Where Harries had directed the work of the Society into engaging publicly with secular culture through broadcasting, advertising and a media conference, Gray took things in a new direction. His place at St Margaret’s Westminster, and as Speaker’s Chaplain, made him very well placed to stimulate debate among the movers and shakers of Westminster. He initiated regular evening meetings and dinners with MPs of all parties to discuss issues around faith, ethics and politics.

Among the Society trustees, Gray assembled a very strong team with extensive media experience, including David Winter and Stephen Oliver, two former BBC heads of religious broadcasting, and the broadcaster and Methodist leader Pauline Webb. He supported the launch of Premier Radio in 1994, and enabled the Society to fund several award-winning series of radio programmes.

In 1999, as the new millennium approached, Gray led the Christian Evidence trustees in producing two leaflets, one of which was entitled Whose Birthday is it Anyway? They were written in engaging, non-churchy language, with the aim of reaching people with limited (or no) contact with the Christian faith. Tens of thousands of free copies were distributed through the cathedrals and major churches. He also oversaw the publication of two new series of booklets for the Society – one series posing questions such as Why God? and Why suffering? and the other offering guidance on Finding God in Bereavement, illness, and marriage breakdown.

Revd Canon Richard Burridge, who succeeded Gray as chair of the Society, comments:

‘Donald took the ministry of the Christian Evidence Society to a much wider audience. His support for the launch of Premier Radio, as well as publishing booklets and leaflets for the millennium, were all essential for the development of the Society into the 21st century. His time as chair was marked by his deep spirituality and his concern for the presence of faith in our national life, all undergirded by his smiling presence and delightful sense of humour. It was a delight to serve under him, and a privilege to succeed him as chair.’

Revd Canon Donald Gray, priest and chaplain, born 1930, died 2025.

For a short history of the Christian Evidence Society, including Donald Gray’s time as chair, download our booklet, Making the Case for Faith.

Main photo by Jorge Láscar under CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo of Donald Gray: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo