Joan Gray

Joan S. Gray was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) at the 217th General Assembly on June 15, 2006. As Moderator, she served as the presiding officer of the week-long General Assembly meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by a two-year term as the ambassador-at-large for the denomination. Many criticize Gray for her unavailability to the church when compared to the moderators who came before and after her. Unlike those moderators, Gray did not blog or stay in touch via email. However, she did receive praise for providing a calming presence for congregations in conflict.

Gray is considered an expert on church polity and structure, and is the co-author of Presbyterian Polity for Church Officers. She previously served as moderator of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission and a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Advisory Committee on the Constitution. Through five General Assemblies before and after Presbyterian reunion in 1983, she served on the Provisional Constitutional Committee. All of these are very important positions that provided Gray with insight and skill needed to be the moderator of the General Assembly.

Joan Gray was ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament on March 12, 1978. Prior to serving as the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Gray served seven churches in the Atlanta area — Fellowship, Oglethorpe, Columbia, Hemphill, Good Shepherd, Smyrna, and College Park. She has served as Adjunct Faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary and Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary and has taught at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Gray took a somewhat controversial stance on the issue of gays and lesbians in the church. She said, "I have great respect for gay and lesbian people who want to be accepted for who they are and who want to do the work to which they feel called. But I don’t feel homosexuality is God’s will for creation. It’s uncomfortable feeling that way, but I’m comfortable being uncomfortable until the ‘still small voice’ speaks to my soul and I’m convicted otherwise."