David Gray

David is a Tau Interfaith Franciscan. He and his wife, Elaine, have several children and grandchildren and live in Sally-Mancland, as David likes to call the kissing cousin cities of Manchester and Salford, where he lives and works when not in his spiritual home of Alba, also known as Caledonia, the land to the north that Sassenachs call Scotland.

Spiritual servant leader of the Progressive Pagan-Christian Alliance, David was chaplain to First and Second World War veterans for many years, which led to his further training with One Spirit, the interfaith seminary that traces its roots back to the end of the Second World

War, when priests, imams, rabbis and other spiritual and humanist leaders thought the world might benefit from a better understanding across the whole spectrum of human faith and cultural identity.

His other works include poetry and song lyrics for various bands and artists–he has appeared with several bands and is known as the Punk Monk on the Sally-Manc music scene.

David is also the author of The Great Apes of Belle Vue, which outlines his experience of communication with great apes and is available online and as hard copy in the shop at St. Francis Monastery in Gorton, which he helped to restore after years of dereliction.

As David Seagray, he has also written a grimoire novel for young adults: All Hallowed, which relates the adventures of Pen, a young witch, who, with her familiar Moke, helps unite the creatures, the living and the dead to fight corporate greed and global warming. Further books in the Pen and Moke series are underway.

A member of Mensa, David’s stepping stones to his present roles in life include training as a mental health and social work professional, founding the Lifeshare charity that works on the Sally-Manc margins, being a member of the magic circle, martial arts, a stand-up comedian, years as a radio presenter and as an inspirational speaker. He headed a

negotiating team on behalf of prisoners’ families during the 1990 Strangeways prison riots.