Hunter Street Baptist Church to honor Buddy Gray for 30 years as pastor

Hunter Street Baptist Church plans to hold a reception Wednesday night to honor its pastor, the Rev. Buddy Gray, for 30 years as lead pastor of the church.

The reception is scheduled to be in the church’s chapel from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

The church also plans to honor Gray during morning worship services this Sunday, June 5. Those services are at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Gray plans to preach a message Sunday about his 30 years of leading the church, which relocated from western Birmingham to Hoover under his direction in 1987. The church has experienced significant growth and expansion of facilities at the campus off John Hawkins Parkway during his tenure. 

Gray grew up in Prattville and first served Hunter Street as a part-time youth minister in 1978 while he attended Samford University, according to a video on Hunter Street’s history. He then was hired as a full-time associate pastor in 1979 until he left to attend seminary.

He earned his master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1983 and was called back to be pastor of Hunter Street in 1986. He later earned a doctorate from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2002.

This article was updated at 1:54 p.m. on June 1 to correct the date of Sunday services.