Beloved Community Spotlight

Charles Ray Halliburton, Jr.—but please, call him Ray—didn’t arrive at St. Margaret’s by accident. Like many meaningful turns in life, his path to the church was shaped by a mix of loss, searching, and unexpected grace.

Ray first connected with St. Margaret’s in early 2020, in the uncertain early days of the COVID pandemic. At the time, he was navigating a divorce and looking for something steady—particularly an adult Sunday School where he could engage thoughtfully with his faith. His previous United Methodist congregation had become, in his words, “uncomfortable and untenable” given his circumstances. So when he discovered that Father Tommy was hosting Sunday School online, Ray logged in. What he found kept him coming back. “Loved it,” he says simply.

That initial virtual connection soon gave way to an in-person experience. Pentecost that year was celebrated outdoors, a necessary adjustment for pandemic precautions. For Ray, it was also his first Episcopal service. One moment stands out: Father Tommy moving through the gathered crowd, sprinkling parishioners with Holy Water. For someone whose Christian background had once leaned toward the fundamentalist and away from ancient traditions, it was something entirely new—and unexpectedly meaningful.

Ray’s spiritual journey has been one of discovery. Over time, he found himself drawn more deeply into the richness of liturgical worship. That journey culminated in his confirmation in the Episcopal Church at St. Margaret’s, a moment he counts as significant in his life.

Ray names three deeply meaningful services at St. Margaret’s. The first was his confirmation, received in the Apostolic tradition he has come to cherish. The second was his marriage to his beloved wife, Eleanor. The third was the requiem mass for his mother—a service he describes as beautiful and a fitting tribute to her life.

Ray and Eleanor’s story began on a day marked by both sorrow and quiet grace. They met at the assisted living facility where Ray’s parents lived, on the very day his father died. Eleanor, a recreational therapist there, was sitting on the floor comforting Ray’s mother when he first saw her. In the midst of grief, connection took root. At his mother’s urging, the family went out for lunch together that day, beginning a relationship that would grow into something special.

The two were married at St. Margaret’s on November 6, 2022, in an afternoon ceremony blessed by Father Tommy. The date itself came with a bit of humor—moved back a day to avoid conflicting with the LSU-Alabama game, a small but telling detail that reflects both practicality and personality.

Together, Ray and Eleanor share a love of music and travel. They’ve made a tradition of attending concerts and festivals, including Jazz Fest—though this year marked their first absence since they began dating due to other travel plans. Among their favorite experiences: seeing Norah Jones and Stick Figure at Red Rocks. Their travels have taken them across the U.S. and around the world, from Colorado and California to Scotland, Portugal, Spain, Iceland, and beyond.

Ray’s life has been shaped by both service and movement. A native of Clinton, Mississippi, he served seven years on active duty in the U.S. Navy as a medical officer before moving to Baton Rouge in 1995. His journey has included time in Jackson, MS., the Washington, D.C. area, northern Virginia, and Millington, TN. Through it all, his vocation as a physician has remained a central thread. He currently is an internist doing primary care for adults for Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group.

Family is equally central. Ray is the father of three: Maya, who lives in Seattle; Andree, who lives in Lafayette with her husband, Christopher; and William, who resides in Baton Rouge.

When asked what St. Margaret’s means to him, Ray describes it as, “The ideal church in this time.” For him, it is a place that holds fast to the universal message of the Gospel while also offering real opportunities to live that message through service and community.

And when he looks ahead, Ray hopes for a simple legacy —That he might be remembered as someone who tried to be a good husband, a good father, and a good physician.

If you see Ray around St. Margaret’s, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself. Ask him about his travels, his journey into the Episcopal Church, or what it was like to have Holy Water flung at him that first Pentecost.

You’ll find someone thoughtful, well-traveled, and grounded in both faith and life.