W. Grant McMurray

W. Grant McMurray (born July 12, 1947 ) is the seventh Prophet President of the Communion of Christ (1996-2004). He was the first person who was not a descendant of Joseph Smith to become President of the Church. Under his leadership, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (RHLT Church) changed its name to Fellowship of Christ.

biography

William (Grant) McMurray was born in Toronto , Canada. His parents were both members of the RHLT church. He lived in Toronto until his teens. Then his parents moved with him to Independence in the United States . His mother became an employee in the headquarters of the RHLT church. He attended Graceland University and the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City . There he obtained a master's degree in theology and thus became the first President of the RHLT Church to have attended a seminar and acquired such a title.

In 1973 McMurray became an employee of the history department of the RHLT Church. In 1982 McMurray became the worldwide secretary of the Church and in 1992 he was called to serve as a counselor to then President of the Church, Wallace B. Smith . As a counselor, McMurray was a member of the First Presidency of the RHLT Church.

In 1995, Smith announced his resignation and named McMurray as his successor. This was the first time someone unrelated to Joseph Smith had become a President of the RHLT Church.

Presidency and estate

McMurray became President of the Church in 1996.

In 1997, McMurray called on the church to base itself on a Christian theology of peace. In 2001 the church changed its name to Communion with Christ , referring to the Church of Christ and to the fact that Christ should be the focus of the Church. With this name change and the other changes he brought about in the church, McMurray tried to build a community based on the model of the city of Zion .

McMurray presided over the first ordination of women to the office of Apostle in the Church. He also deepened and broadened fraternal friendship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He built friendly relationships and shared historical endeavors.

resignation

On November 29, 2004, McMurray resigned as President of the Church. In his resignation letter, he announced that he was resigning for personal reasons and that his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease had nothing to do with his resignation.

When he was later interviewed about his resignation, he stated that it was purely personal issues that led him to resign.

Church leaders announced that Stephen M. Veazey would become the new President of the Church. On June 3, 2005, Veazey was ordained President of the Church.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c Our History - W. Grant McMurray . Community of Christ. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
↑ http://iagenweb.org/boards/decatur/biographies/index.cgi?read=584291
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Peggy Fletcher Stack : RLDS Head Downplays His Role as a Prophet . Salt Lake Tribune , June 29, 1996, p. D1.
^ ^A ^b ^c ^d ^e Gustav Niebuhr: New Leader For Church That Shares Mormon Roots . The New York Times. May 12, 1996. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
^ Gustav Niebuhr: Split-Off From Mormons Assumes a New Name . The New York Times. July 31, 2001. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
↑ Joseph Smith ( BH Roberts ed.). History of the Church 1 : 75-77
↑ Shaun D Stahle: 'We share an important slice in history'. Leaders, members of two faiths honor Joseph and Hyrum Smith . Church News (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). June 29, 2002. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
^ ^A ^b Community Of Christ Leader Steps Down . S. December 1, 2004.
^ W. Grant McMurray: Letter of Resignation . November 29, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved on May 20, 2014.
^ Carrie A Moore: Leader resigns presidency of ex-RLDS Church . Deseret News. December 3, 2004. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
^ Associated Press: Community of Christ selects new president . March 7, 2005. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
↑ Stephen M. Veazey ( Memento of May 13, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), cofchrist.org, accessed March 2, 2008.

personal data
SURNAME	McMurray, W. Grant
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	McMurray, William Grant (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	seventh president of the communion of Christ
DATE OF BIRTH	July 12, 1947

[CCWM-1] Our History - W. Grant McMurray . Community of Christ. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2009.

[2] ttp://iagenweb.org/boards/decatur/biographies/index.cgi?read=584291

[stack-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Peggy Fletcher Stack : RLDS Head Downplays His Role as a Prophet . Salt Lake Tribune , June 29, 1996, p. D1.

[Nieb-4] A ^b ^c ^d ^e Gustav Niebuhr: New Leader For Church That Shares Mormon Roots . The New York Times. May 12, 1996. Retrieved June 19, 2009.

[5] Gustav Niebuhr: Split-Off From Mormons Assumes a New Name . The New York Times. July 31, 2001. Retrieved June 19, 2009.

[6] Joseph Smith ( BH Roberts ed.). History of the Church 1 : 75-77

[7] Shaun D Stahle: 'We share an important slice in history'. Leaders, members of two faiths honor Joseph and Hyrum Smith . Church News (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). June 29, 2002. Retrieved June 19, 2009.

[MCRL-8] A ^b Community Of Christ Leader Steps Down . S. December 1, 2004.

[9] W. Grant McMurray: Letter of Resignation . November 29, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved on May 20, 2014.

[10] Carrie A Moore: Leader resigns presidency of ex-RLDS Church . Deseret News. December 3, 2004. Retrieved June 19, 2009.

[11] Associated Press: Community of Christ selects new president . March 7, 2005. Retrieved June 19, 2009.

[coc-12] Stephen M. Veazey ( Memento of May 13, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), cofchrist.org, accessed March 2, 2008.