A beloved pastor of his beloved church

This November, the Rev. John L. Gray would have celebrated an emotional milestone, when Faith Baptist Church in Round Lake Beach reached its 35th anniversary.

It was Pastor Gray who founded the congregation back in 1972, starting first in McHenry before moving it to Johnsburg and ultimately finding a home in Round Lake Beach.

He opened the doors of a church building that already had been shuttered twice before, but this time the parishioners stayed.

The Rev. William Stacy, current pastor, says the faith community started by Pastor Gray still reflects his leadership.

"He was very genuine and faithful," Stacy says. "He loved history, and he loved things that were wholesome, and he brought those into his sermons."

Pastor Gray often filled in for Stacy, and as recently as Wednesday night, he was supposed to have preached. Pastor Gray had retired in 1996, but he remained active in the church, including teaching the adult Sunday school class.

His classes followed different themes, Stacy added, from covering Baptist history to just this summer when he covered highlights from the first five books of the Bible.

Pastor Gray grew up in the small town of Maroa, Ill., just north of Decatur, where his ancestors had been among the original settlers, coming from Kentucky before the Civil War.

Townspeople there describe the community as the "essence of a small town," with a population even today of less than 2,000 people.

Pastor Gray grew up on the family farm, and he delayed his college studies to stay home and farm for 11 years.

He eventually graduated from Bob Jones University, then attended Tennessee Temple Seminary School and New Orleans Baptist Seminary.

His first assignment took him to Odessa, Texas, where he served as pastor from 1970 to 1972, before he left to plant a new church in Chicago's Northern suburbs.

"He loved this church," Stacy said, "but the church wasn't just a building. It's the people. He loved them, and the people loved him."

Pastor Gray is survived by his wife of 58 years, Nancy, as well as their children George (Shaheen) Gray of Houston, Texas; Rebecca Gray of Hoffman Estates; and one granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his son, Stephen, in 1951.

A funeral service for Pastor Gray will take place at 10 a.m. today at Faith Baptist Church, 1333 Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake Beach.