Bishop Dr. Paul Murray has been in Christian leadership for more than 25-years. Ordained as a minister in 1992, Murray has served as senior pastor of The Lighthouse Church-Millersville for nineteen years. He was consecrated and elevated to the office of Bishop in July 2017 and serves on the College of Bishops and as an Executive Board member of One Way Churches International (OWCI).
Previously, Dr. Murray held a leadership position within the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ (ALJC) where he was a member of the General Board. He served for 6 years as the District Superintendent of the New York/Mid-Atlantic Region, which oversaw ministers and churches in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and the District of Columbia.
With his wife Rachel of 30 years and ministry partner, they have established 6 churches on the eastern corridor of the U.S. and a daughter work in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition, Dr. Murray is the award-winning author of Broken: Picking up the Pieces after the Fall and soon to be published, First to Serve: A Call to Servant Leadership. He has also published more than 20 articles on servant leadership, effective ministry, and church management which appeared in the ‘Apostolic Witness’ and’ IBC Perspectives’, Christian magazines.
Dr. Murray serves as Vice President, Religious Freedom Initiatives with the Global Peace Foundation International where he leads efforts impacting religious freedom around the world. A passionate advocate for religious freedom and human rights, Murray oversees projects and efforts globally. He is a regular presenter on international program panels and a conference speaker addressing inter-religious challenges, religious persecution, religious freedom restrictions internationally and religious liberty violations in the United States. In addition, Dr. Murray serves as Vice Chairman of the International Religious Freedom Secretariat (IRFSec) and liaison to the IRF Roundtable Steering Committee; is Executive Board Member, First Amendment Voice Alliance; member of the National Committee on Religious Liberty; and Co-Chair, Capital Area Coalition on Religious Liberty.
Murray’s ministry has been televised on TBN, Daystar, CTN in the U.S.A, and Rede Globo in Brazil. Dr. Murray’s highlights include speaking for special convening’s at the United Nations in New York and Nairobi, Kenya; presenter and speaker at global leadership conferences in North and South America, Africa, and Asia; ministering and teaching at national convocations, conventions and mega-churches; special guest speaker for the nationally televised July 4th, “Celebrate America” in the nation’s Capital; and was profiled on the cover and featured in the coveted, BOSS Magazine.
Dr. Murray has built upon his years of community service and volunteerism and infused his work ethic into his strong Christian faith to exemplify the qualities of Servant Leadership. He serves as a volunteer for the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence, the State of Maryland Medical Reserve Corps, and has previously served as a Chaplain for the Anne Arundel County, Maryland Police and Sheriff’s Department’s and two Hospice organizations and is a former Peace Corps Volunteer to the country of Tunisia.
Bishop Murray holds his Doctoral Degree in Pastoral Leadership from Howard University’s School of Divinity; a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling and a Master of Art in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, along with an undergraduate degree from the University of Phoenix where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Services.
Dr. Murray and his wife Rachel are the proud parents of a son and two married daughters, who are each true servant leaders in their own unique ways and have made us the proud grandparents of two beautiful girls and four handsome boys.