Faith Facts

• Fred Gray, a 95-year-old Church of Christ elder, has preached the gospel for more than seventy years while serving as a civil rights attorney.
• Gray played a key role in merging Black and White congregations in Tuskegee, Alabama, modeling Christian unity rooted in Ephesians 4:1-6.
• His sons continue his legacy of faith and service, working as attorneys and church leaders alongside their father.

Fred Gray built a lifetime of service on the foundation of preaching the gospel before he ever stepped into a courtroom. His sons say that desire to proclaim Christ came first and shaped everything that followed.

At Faulkner University’s Bible Lectureship, family and friends gathered to celebrate Gray’s decades of ministry rather than his many legal honors. The 95-year-old elder was unable to attend, so his sons accepted a plaque recognizing seventy years of gospel preaching.

“It’s just really exciting because you know, Daddy’s gotten a whole lot of awards for a whole lot of different things,” said Stanley Gray. “But to really recognize him for his church work, I mean, that was the beginning. That was his foundation. Before he ever knew that he would be a great lawyer, or before he ever was a great lawyer, he had that desire to be a preacher.”

Fred Gray Jr. recalled how his father practiced preaching as a boy and even baptized neighborhood pets in playful preparation for ministry. The younger Gray spoke at the dinner in his father’s absence.

“Daddy would tell you that when he was young, he would baptize whatever he could,” Fred Jr. said. “It might be other children. It might be dogs and cats.”

Gray was baptized at age seven at the Holt Street Church of Christ in Montgomery. As a teenager he attended the Nashville Christian Institute, where evangelist Marshall Keeble trained him as one of the school’s “boy preachers.”

After earning a law degree in Ohio because Alabama schools would not admit Black students, Gray returned home determined to challenge every unjust barrier he encountered. His son described the mission plainly.

“In his law career, Gray intended to ‘destroy everything segregated he could find,’ his son added.”

Gray represented Rosa Parks, argued the landmark Browder v. Gayle case that ended bus segregation, and defended Martin Luther King Jr. during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He also argued before the Supreme Court to protect the NAACP’s right to operate in Alabama.

Yet Gray’s passion for unity extended beyond courtrooms and into church pews. He often quoted Martin Luther King Jr.’s observation that Sunday morning remained “the most segregated hour in America.”

In 1974 he helped merge Black and White Churches of Christ in Tuskegee. Fred Jr. described the quiet strength of that effort.

“In destroying everything segregated he could find, he found it right there. And so he didn’t have to dismantle — he just brought us together.”

Stanley Gray said his father takes greatest pride in seeing his own children remain faithful to Christ. Lawanda Gray, Stanley’s wife, recalled how Fred Sr. became a father figure after her parents passed away.

“When my parents passed away, he was Daddy, so he kind of gave me guidance,” she said. “He checked on me, wanted to make sure everything was OK, and he just stepped in and has been there ever since.”

Lawanda described her father-in-law as “very firm, very Christian-like and very matter of fact.”

“He’ll let you know just what the Bible says,” she told the Chronicle. “He’ll get you straight. Yeah, but he’s a wonderful man.”

Fred Jr. remembered a moment when his father stopped preaching to correct him and his brother during a service. The firm discipline left a lasting impression on the young boys and on the congregation that laughed at the retelling.

Today Gray serves as an elder at the Tuskegee Church of Christ alongside Fred Jr., while Stanley serves as a deacon. Both sons practice law at the firm their father founded.

Faulkner University President Mitch Henry praised the family’s commitment to Christian unity across backgrounds. He noted the blessing of worshiping together with believers from many ethnic and economic communities.

David Hester, director of the Faulkner Bible Lectureship, presented the plaque honoring Gray’s lifelong ministry. The inscription celebrates his love for the Lord, His church, and His Word, and recognizes his efforts to unify brothers and sisters in Christ without regard to race.

Fred Jr. closed the evening by reminding the audience of his father’s enduring message. Even at ninety-five, Gray continues to call believers to worship together as one people under one Lord.

“Even now, at the age of 95, he has that same message, that we should worship together,” the son said. “If we have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father who is above all, well then, we should be one people who can worship that one person together.”

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Faith Facts

• The Chosen Season 6 depicts Jesus’ crucifixion and the disciples’ grief in its most raw form
• Cast members describe the filming experience as spiritually and emotionally demanding
• The series ultimately points viewers to the hope of the Resurrection

The cast of The Chosen has opened up about the deeply moving experience of filming Season 6, which focuses on Jesus’ final hours, His crucifixion, and the sorrow that followed for His disciples.

Actors involved in the project have described the process as one of the most challenging seasons to film, both emotionally and spiritually.

“A painful watch” is how some cast members have referred to the upcoming season, reflecting the heavy subject matter they have been tasked with portraying.

Despite the intensity of the scenes, the cast and crew have remained committed to showing the full story of the Gospel with authenticity and reverence.

The production team has emphasized that while the crucifixion scenes are difficult, they serve as a necessary reminder of the sacrifice made for the salvation of mankind.

“The Chosen” continues to be a groundbreaking series that brings biblical accounts to life for millions of viewers around the world.

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Faith Facts

• Two Senate nominees and several House candidates are running as Democrats while openly embracing their Christian faith.
• Among them are a Texas seminarian and a Kansas megachurch pastor seeking seats in Congress.
• The candidates say their faith shapes their commitment to serve their communities and the nation.

Democrats are rarely known for highlighting their personal Christian convictions during campaigns. This cycle, however, a small but determined group of candidates is doing exactly that.

Two Senate hopefuls, a Texas seminarian, and a Kansas megachurch pastor headline the list of ten Democrats who are running on their faith in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Each of these candidates is making a deliberate choice to speak openly about how their beliefs guide their views on policy and public life.

“My faith calls me to serve the least of these, and that’s why I’m running,”

the Texas seminarian said, describing his decision to enter the race. The Kansas megachurch pastor echoed that sentiment, saying he believes public office is a way to live out biblical principles of justice and compassion.

Campaign observers note that these candidates are taking a different approach than many in their party. Instead of downplaying religion, they are putting it front and center on the trail.

“We need leaders who are grounded in Scripture and willing to stand for truth,”

one supporter at a recent rally declared. The message appears to be resonating with voters who want to see their values reflected in Washington.

Whether these candidates can translate their faith-based appeals into victory remains to be seen. Their willingness to speak openly about their Christian convictions marks a notable shift in Democratic messaging.

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