Beloved Pastor Retires From Community United Methodist

By Kevin Murnane

Pastor Rick Gray of the Community United Methodist Church in Pasadena is retiring after 42 years of serving the community.

“Pastor Gray is the epitome of what a pastor should be,” commented Community United Methodist Church Secretary Margy Brown. “He’s a wonderfully caring human being who goes to homes and hospitals to cheer people up. He is a very community minded person who also delivers powerful and meaningful sermons.”

Pastor Gray, who has been a religious leader at five different churches in the Baltimore-Washington area, has started many new programs at the Fort Smallwood Road-based church in the last five years.

“One of the great new programs we started was with Northeast High School. It was a way for students to go somewhere safe and fun after high school football games,” said Pastor Gray. “We called it the ‘fifth quarter’ and invited all the students who went to the football game to the church for recreation, music and, of course, food. We had 250 students attend these events, and it was because of the great assistance of the community that we were able to offer it.”

One of the keys to the success of the church was Pastor Gray’s leadership in getting all phases of the community involved with projects.

Another successful program Pastor Gray started at the church was the winter relief program, which brings together several Pasadena churches that host the homeless at different times during the winter months. Additionally, Pastor Gray re-started the Pasadena Ministerium, the annual Good Friday cross-walk that had folks carrying a cross from Lauer’s to the church. He also initiated the Easter sunrise service at Kurtz’s Beach. Pastor Gray was also responsible for organizing weekend retreats near Harper’s Ferry, in which 50-55 members on average would attend.

Pastor Gray reflected that Pasadena is a booming area that is continuing to grow, as evidenced by the 45 baptisms he conducted last year. His congregation, which has greatly increased in size over the few years he has been here, has been affected by the recession, which caused him to set up a free food pantry. He also has spent a great deal of time searching for ways for families to get financial help for their utility bills and pharmaceutical needs. Gray continued to lead these programs, even as donations at the church were reduced due to the recession.

After hearing a call from God some 42 years ago and experiencing many of life’s journeys with his congregation, Pastor Gray is looking forward to having weekends and nights off. He will spend time coaching lacrosse in Annapolis where he currently resides, and spending time with his grandchildren. He also plans to continue to teach within the community.

“Pastor Gray has always had great leadership ability,” said Margy Brown. “And he always tended to his flock.”

He will be missed by that flock, as well as the entire Pasadena community.