The Rt. Rev. Duncan Gray Serving as a Mentor for Thriving in Ministry Program in our Diocese

The Right Reverend Duncan Gray III will serve the Diocese of South Carolina as a mentor in the Thriving in Ministry program being launched for clergy in returning congregations in 2023. 

Our diocese is working with the Thriving in Ministry program administered by Virginia Theological Seminary and supported by grant funding from the Lilly Endowment. The aim of the program is twofold: 1) to create vibrant peer learning groups for clergy in distinct settings; and 2) to advance the continuing education of clergy through the support of trained mentors. The Thriving model includes monthly group meetings, one-on-one sessions with each group member and the mentor, and occasional retreats over the course of a year. The initial participation of our diocese in this program will provide support for the clergy of our returning congregations as they address the unique challenges and opportunities of their own contexts.

Earlier this month Bishop Gray made a visit to the diocese to meet the members of the initial cohort group, including the Rev. Furman Buchanan, Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant; the Rev. Michael Bye, St. David’s, Cheraw and St. Bartholomew’s, Hartsville; the Rev. Taylor Smith, St. James, James Island; and the Rev. Cn. Callie Walpole, St. John’s, John’s Island. 

After meeting with them, Bishop Gray said, “I was very impressed with the deep  devotion, strong commitment in faith and sense of adventure that is shared by each of these returning priests. Their capacity to dream about what could be, in this season of  rebuilding and beyond, was remarkable and inspiring.” 

Bishop Gray served as Bishop of Mississippi from 2003-2015, after years of ministry in parishes and as an Episcopal school chaplain. Since he retired from that position, Bishop Gray has remained active in ministry, especially in the area of clergy leadership development. In addition to this new role with the Diocese of South Carolina, Bishop Gray has been on the Board of Directors for the Gathering of Leaders, a network established to support Episcopal clergy in developing resilience and creativity in their ministries.  

The diocese is grateful for Bishop Gray’s answering this call to serve. “I am so looking forward to working with these faithful clergy and their emerging congregations," said Bishop Gray. "They will have much to teach our wider church as they follow their Lord into these chartered waters.”

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