Vergeneas Alfred Gray was born in Hard Hill, Acklins on August 5, 1951 to Charles W. Gray and Vera Darling (nee Collie). Mr. Gray was educated at Hard Hill Public School in Acklins, St. Anne’s High School, New Providence, The Bahamas Teachers College and The University of Pennsylvania graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management.
He is married to Bessley Eloise Gray (nee Willliamson) and they have five (5) children namely: Sharmine, Shonalee, Mario, Shenique and Shemika Gray; and five (5) grandchildren.
He served a Principal in the Ministry of Education School from 1972 through 1974. He also served as a Family Island Commissioner for Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island, Andros, Exuma, Abaco and Grand Bahama from 1974 to 1981. An Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Gray was called to the Bar of The Bahamas in 1985.
Mr. Gray was first elected to Parliament in 1987 as Member of Parliament for the Carmichael Constituency in New Providence; he was again elected in 2002 as the Member of Parliament for the MICAL Constituency and served 15 years until May 10, 2017. Mr. Gray served in the Cabinet of The Bahamas for ten (10) years, serving as the Minister of Local Government and Consumer Affairs, and Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Government and Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources. Mr. Gray also served as Executive Chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas from 1987 to 1992.
Mr. Gray was appointed as High Commissioner of The Bahamas to Ottawa, Canada in October 2022.
He serves as a Minister at the New Destiny Baptist Church, Nassau, Bahamas.
An avid pilot, Mr. Gray’s hobbies include flying, reading and fishing.
Link to service: https://youtube.com/live/GQhdb7d-Xu0?feature=share
Slide image attribution:
JESUS MAFA. The mission to the world, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48314 [retrieved February 21, 2024]. Original source: http://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr (contact page: https://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr/contact).
This scene is a reminder that all Christians are called to spread Jesus’ message of love and justice throughout the world.