"A HISTORY OF THE DAVIESS-McLEAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION IN KENTUCKY, 
1844-1943" by Wendell H. Rone.  Probably published in 1944 by 
Messenger Job Printing Co., Inc., Owensboro, Kentucky, pp. 356.  
Used by permission.  [Daviess]

JOHN A. WRAY:  It is to be regretted that very little information 
has been obtained concerning the life of this eminent preacher.  
But such as has been found we give to you.  He was born in Shelby 
County, North Carolina, in the month of February, 1872.  After 
completing the common schools at hand he attended Howard College in 
Alabama.  In the year 1892 he received the B.A. degree from Wake 
Forrest College in his native state.  For a time he studied in the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville.  The First 
Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tenn., licensed him to preach in June, 
1893, and ordained him on August 5, 1894.  He was immediately called 
to the care of the Baptist Church at Winston-Salem, N. C., serving it 
the remainder of the year 1894 and the year 1895.  In the last part 
of the year 1895 he accepted the care of the Church at Milledgeville, 
Ga., serving it until 1900 or later.  From here we lose track of him 
until his call to the care of the Third Baptist Church in Owensboro in 
January, 1921.  He was called from Monroe, North Carolina, so we 
presume this was his pastorate before coming here.
	During his pastorate with the Church a new, Sunday School Annex 
was built at a cost of over $19,000; Brethren C. H. Nichols and R. W. 
Mayer were ordained to the ministry, and the work increased in general.  
He resigned in November, 1926, after a pastorate of almost six years, 
to accept the care of the Eastland Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn.  
His service at this Church lasted until about the year 1935.  From 
there we have found no other record of his life other that he later 
moved to Florida.  We are inclined to believe that he is dead.
	He preached the Annual Sermon before the Association in the year 
1922.

Wray Nichols Mayer
=
Shelby-NC AL TN GA

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/daviess/wray.ja.txt