Dr. Bob Gray Sr. has been an ordained Baptist preacher for 53 years as of 2025. He pastored for 33 of those years. He pastored Faith Baptist Church of Bourbonnais, Illinois, and Longview Baptist Temple of Longview, TX.
He pastored Longview Baptist Temple for three decades. LBT had over one million souls come to Christ through their soul winning programs. The church gave 9.3 million dollars to missions while starting 1,710 churches around the world in those same three decades. LBT gave $325,000 to help the poor in the Ark-La-Tex during this same period of time. LBT averaged 2,041 the last year of his pastorate in 2008. It was the largest Sunday school in the Ark-La-Tex area. LBT baptized 4.465 converts the last year of his pastoring LBT. Dr. Gray brought 153 of those for baptism that same year. He has authored 38 books. He hosts Soul Winning Clinics not only in the USA, but in many foreign countries. He is the founder of IBaptistCollege.org, Independent Baptist Online College. He hosts a weekly MINISTRY MOMENTS broadcast on YouTube.
Dr. Gray is a part of the 1967 class at Michigan State University. He worked at the Fisher Body Division of General Motors for seven years as a Cost Accountant in Kalamazoo, MI. He entered the ministry in 1972. He attended Hyles-Anderson College in Crown Point, IN, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1976. During college he was listed in “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.” He also served on the staff at HAC. He received Honorary Doctorate degrees from HAC, Tri-State Baptist College of Memphis, TN, and Berean Baptist College of Jacksonville, FL. He currently is on the faculty of North Florida Baptist College in Jacksonville, Florida.
Under Dr. Gray’s leadership, LBT expanded her ministry to include Texas Baptist College, THE BAPTIST MAGAZINE, IBWM missions, Longview Baptist Academy, National Soul Winning Clinic, National Teen Convention, and Solve Church Problems.
Dr. and Mrs. Gray have four children, ten grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren. Mrs. Gray graduated to Heaven on December 29, 2024. Both sons, Dr. Bob Gray II and Dr. Scott Gray are pastors. Kim, the oldest, is married to Mark Simmons. Karen Forgy is married to Tim Forgy. Tim and Karen serve in Raleigh Durham, NC, with Scott at the Liberty Baptist Church.
