Deaconess Adrainne J. Gray was consecrated an LDA deaconess on September 17, 2017, and is an ordained deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Her ministry is rooted in a deep commitment to social justice, racial reconciliation, and community empowerment. She brings a diverse background of experience, from communications to global advocacy, to her work as a servant leader.
Prior to assuming the role of LDA Executive Director in January 2025, Adrainne was on the LDA staff as Director of Discernment. She served four years as an ELCA missionary with her partner Ben (a seasoned photojournalist), and their two children, Sylvia and James Everett. She was the Communication Officer for Communion Relations at the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Geneva, from 2020 to 2023.
Her career includes extensive communications work with LWF and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. In these roles, she helped amplify the voices of marginalized communities, advocating for peace, justice, and global unity throughout the Lutheran Church diaspora.
Adrainne holds a Master’s in Practical Theology from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and a Journalism degree from the University of Florida – Gainesville.
Why I love the LDA
The LDA is a Harmonious Space of cooperation with a shared commitment to creating a positive and supportive environment for all.
Outside the LDA
Adrainne is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She likes gardening, making homebrewed Kombucha, dancing, and long walks. Her interests also include Afro-surrealism literature and film, care of the actively dying, eco-burials, HIV/AIDS activism for marginalized populations, travel, yoga and cultural intersectionality, and finding Christ in all of the above.
Favorite Scripture
My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? – John 14:2
Favorite Quote
“There is nothing to prove and nothing to protect. I am who I am and it’s enough.” – Father Richard Rohr