Biography


The Rt. Rev. Rayford B. High, Jr., is Bishop Suffragan for the Northeast and Central parts of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and Executive for Pastoral Ministry for the Diocese. He resides in Tyler with the oversight of 45 congregations plus four institutions of the Diocese. Formerly Bishop High was Canon for Pastoral Ministry for the Diocese and liaison at St. Luke’s Episcopal for Bishop Don Wimberly. He has previously served as rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Waco, Texas, for 18 years.
Before coming to Waco he served Texas churches in McAllen, Victoria, and San Antonio. He has been active in numerous diocesan and national church activities, including serving as a deputy to the General Convention of the National Church nine different times. His community activities include the Citizens Memorial Hospital Board in Victoria, the Regional Board on Alcoholism, Rotary International, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Board, Episcopal High School of Houston Board, St. James’ House Board in Baytown; and he was named Humanitarian of the Year in 1997 by the Waco Conference of Christians and Jews.

Bishop High is presently serving as President of the Board of the Texas Conference of Churches and served as Chairman of the Church Pension Fund Committee for the House of Bishops at General Convention in June 2006.

A Houston native, he is a graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, and received his Master of Divinity from the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has done graduate work in pre-marital counseling and has attended the College of Preachers in Washington, D. C., and St. George’s College in Jerusalem. He and his wife Pat have been married for 42 years and have three grown children and six grandchildren.