Bill Ray named William Ray is the 10th Anglican Bishop of North Queensland he was born in Melbourne and started out as a sheep shearer in rural victory. Later he realised he had a passion for youth and started out as a primary school teacher, soon becoming head teacher of a rural school.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Bill Ray worked full-time with the young people of the Diocese of Brisbane, offering
Bible studies, camps for various ages and assistance with youth groups,
as well as providing training for Sunday school and religious education
teachers and youth leaders.
After being ordained as a deacon in Rockhampton he was endorsed as a priest late in 1992. He was consecrated a bishop in March 2007 and installed as the 10th Bishop of North Queensland on 24 March 2007
Transcript of Interview with the Right Reverend Bishop Bill Ray.
What's some of the feedback that you get from the Community?
We get a range of comments.
There are people who are just very, very apprecitive of what you do. sometimes you don't do much for them but they just needed that little bit of help at a particular point in time and its enabled them to move forward in confidence with their self esteem.
Some people have been badly bruised by life and they certainly need allot of long term help. I find with those people, they may not be thankful immediately but they often come back later on and say, 'Look when I was going through this rought patch you people were very good to me and you helped me in this way and cared for me.'
There's certainly a level of appreciation, there are some people sadly that are just never happy.
It's important that we offer our best, do our best and provide the best we can with the resources we have.
The projects you been involved in? Nepali Family Project
I've been asked to be the patron of it. It's been going now for at least 14 years.
The brain child of that was Associate Professor of General Practice and Rural Medicine, Rural Internship Coordinator at James Cook University Dr Digby Hoyal and his wife Anne.
They took on the role of caring for people at that time and I think it's still true that Nepal is the second poorest country in the world to provide medical care.
They had a three part role, one to provide medical care and assistance as well as they can and for the people who present with illnesses and injuries. Two, to train nurses and other people and the third thing is through the church to provide pastoral care, follow-up for those that have been hurt or injured and those undergoing training.
I'm very humbled by that project. We've had some people go from Cairns recently to go over and be with them. The feedback there I've had, they can't get over how apprecitive the people are even though they have so little.
One of our ladies, whose well over seventy who went over there said it's so easy for us to take a band-aid for granted.
When was it that you first got involved in the Anglican Church and decided you wanted to become a minister and a Bishop?
I started out my life as a sheerer for a very brief time and then I went teaching. It was while I was teaching I felt as though I should enter into the youth ministry field. So I worked as a youth worker within the church and then I felt the call toward a nation. I was a minister in the church and then I become a Bishop five and a half years later.
What is it that motivates you?
The thing that motivates me as a Bishop is if we can enable people to understand what christianity is about we will certainlly make life and society the way God intended it. I'm keen that people understand what they believe, as Christians. For those who aren't christians, help them to understand what christianity is about and to to nuture those in their christian faith so they can make a positive contribution to life and society.
As a Bishop you don't actually have a church that your the minister at every Sunday?
That is very true and sometimes a frustration. In my early days I missed that deeply. I had been a parish minister and you minister to a congregation and you can preach on certain themes and you know the people, you know that Ms Smith isn't well and you know that Mr Jones has gone to hospital or you know that Johnny is sitting year 12 exams. It had been a bit difficult adjusting. The church that I have the most to do with is the Cathederal here at Denham Street in Townsville - I do go to that probably once a month on average.
What is a Bishop?
One of the things a Bishop does is carry a shepherd's crook. In the olden day's the shepherds used to grab the sheep either by their hind leg or around their neck and it's a reminder to me that I'm to care for all people without fear or favour.
I put it in my shootcase now cause when I fly people at security at the airport have no idea what a bishop is, they have no idea what a crook is.
Your primary role is to care for the cleragy and the people.
One of the key roles as a bishop is to make sure that the faith is preserved with integrity.
A bishop is supposed to be a teacher and a protector of the faith.
Are you married and do you have any children?
I'm married to Robin and she lectures in the school of medicine and dentistry. We have two children, we have a daughter who used to be a cardiac nurse but she's now a mum with three young sons from five to ten weeks. They live in Shanghai in China and we have a son who lives in Bendigo and is doing outdoor education.
Our daughter is teaching her young children the faith. She does connect-up with other young mums in what I would call a house church situation.
Last time I was over there we just had a simple little prayer session over there.
I suspect that as I look back on our children
We've provided them with a value based system that makes sense for them that their able to own for themselves.
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