Articles
DR. THOMAS L. MURRAY IS THE FOUNDING AND SENIOR PASTOR OF ANOINTED TEMPLE OF PRAISE OUTREACH MINISTRIES (ATOP) IN MEMPHIS, TN.
A NATIVE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA, HE IS THE YOUNGEST SON OF FIVE CHILDREN BORN TO REV. EARL MURRAY, SR. (DECEASED) AND ROBERTA MURRAY. HE ATTENDED TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE IN TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA AND PURSUED HIS STUDIES AT EUREKA COLLEGE IN EUREKA, ILLINOIS, WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE. ACCEPTING HIS CALLING INTO THE MINISTRY, PASTOR MURRAY STUDIED AT TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (BRITE DIVINITY SCHOOL) AND LATER AT MEMPHIS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS MASTER OF DIVINITY AND DOCTORATE OF MINISTRY DEGREE.
PRIOR TO ESTABLISHING ATOP, PASTOR MURRAY SERVED MANY FLOCKS INCLUDING FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF LYNWOOD, CA, TWICE AT MISSISSIPPI BOULEVARD CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MEMPHIS, TN, NEW COVENANT CHRISTIAN CHURCH (FORMERLY GAY-LEA) IN NASHVILLE, TN, VERMONT CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN FLINT, MI.
HE IS CURRENTLY SERVING ON SEVERAL COMMUNITY BOARDS IN MEMPHIS, TN INCLUDING CHARITABLE CHOICE COUNCIL OF MEMPHIS, REACH AND TEACH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE HICKORY HILL COMMUNITY, AND THE COALITION OF THE WILLING WHICH IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUSINESSES, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATION, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHES, SCHOOLS AND THE CITIZENS OF MEMPHIS, TN TRYING TO MEET THE HOLISTIC NEEDS FOR CHANGE.
MURRAY IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER KIM JONES OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. THEY ARE BLESSED TO HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS, TIARA LA’SHAI MURRAY AND TIFFANY LATRICE MURRAY-HARRIS AND THREE GRANDCHILDREN DEION, JORDAN, AND NOAH.