GOD & TEXAS: Too much talk

“They are a most ungodly people.” These words were penned by Col. William Fairfax Gray on Sunday, March 13, 1836. To whom could he possibly be referring?

Born in 1787 in Fairfax County, Virginia, Gray became a decorated soldier with the Virginia Militia. Following his meritorious service in the War of 1812, Gray was commissioned a lieutenant colonel and was referred to as Col. Gray throughout the rest of his life. A printer by trade, Col. Gray succeeded in several careers including law and professional writing.

In 1836, Col. Gray made a business trip to Texas and soon identified with the Texans' desire to obtain independence from Mexico. He attended the March 1836 Constitutional Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos and took copious notes in 12 pocket-sized diaries that are now treasured historical documents. These notes were published in his book, “From Virginia to Texas.”

On March 2, the second day of the Convention, Col. Gray recorded: A Declaration of Independence [was] reported without amendment, and unanimously adopted, in less than one hour from its first and only reading. It underwent no discussion, and no attempt was made to amend it.

But the details of the Constitution became onerous. On March 8, Col. Gray writes: The Convention are diligent in their meetings, but get on slowly with business. Too much talk!

As the meetings droned on, Col. Gray became frustrated with the posturing and political arguments that arose among the attendees. He wrote on March 9: There is a great want of political philosophy and practical knowledge in the body.

Being a devout Christian, it bothered him that the Convention carried on without prayer and reverence of the Lord’s Day. On Sunday March 13, he wrote: The Convention continued their business as usual, without regard to the day. Indeed, I have seen little or no observance of the day in Texas. They are a most ungodly people.

As the war progressed, Col. Gray became a trusted courier carrying sensitive communications from Stephen F. Austin to General Sam Houston and Secretary of War Thomas Rusk. After the Battle of San Jacinto, Col. Gray settled in Houston with his wife and 12 children.

But Houston had no church! It had a grand theater and a Jockey Club with entrance fees up to $500! There were saloons and retail shops, but no place to worship. On March 16, 1839, Col. Gray circulated a paper for signers “to unite together as a Christian congregation in the city of Houston — to observe the forms of worship and be governed by the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of North America.”

Today, Christ Church Cathedral, at the corner of Texas Avenue and Fannin Street, recognizes Col. Gray as the principal founder of the church in 1839. He saw the need for a strong church and took action. Col. Gray fulfilled Matthew 5:16 ESV, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

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