The Rt. Rev. Dr. Howard Kingsley Ainsworth Gregory was elected on Tuesday as the 14th Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, following day-long deliberations at a Special Diocesan Synod held at St. Luke’s Church Hall, Cross Roads.

Bishop Gregory received the two-thirds majority of the votes cast by both the Clergy and Lay Representatives attending the Synod, on the second ballot.

The 61 year-old Bishop Gregory, succeeds the Rt. Rev. and Hon. Alfred C. Reid, who retired on December 31, 2011 after serving as Bishop of Jamaica for 11 years. Bishop Gregory has been serving as Canonical Administrator for the Diocese since January 2012 and his election marks the high point of his 38 – year career in the priesthood.

His first appointment was that of Anglican Chaplain of the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies.  He later served as Chaplain and Lecturer at the Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville from 1978-80.  He was appointed Acting Anglican Warden and Tutor at the United Theological College of the West Indies in 1980, and served concurrently as Priest-in-charge of the Golden Grove Cure.

Returning from study leave in 1986, he was appointed Anglican Tutor and Lecturer in Pastoral Care and Counselling.  In 1987 he was promoted to the position of Deputy President of the UTCWI.  In 1990 he was appointed President of the College and served in that capacity until 2002 when he was elected Suffragan Bishop of Montego Bay.

Bishop Gregory holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology from the University of the West Indies, the Diploma in Ministerial Studies from the United Theological College of the West Indies, and a Diploma in Education from the University of the West Indies.  In addition, he holds a Master of Sacred Theology degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, the degree of Doctor of Sacred Theology from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana.

Bishop Gregory was conferred with the Doctor of Divinity degree (honoris causa), by the Graduate Theological Foundation and the Virginia Theological Seminary, respectively.

His enthronement as Bishop of Jamaica will take place in the Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega, Spanish Town, at a date to be announced.