John Gray, lead pastor of Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina, was admitted to the ER over the weekend with a saddle pulmonary embolism. His wife, Aventer, who is co-pastor of the church, shared the news on Instagram and asked her followers to pray for her husband’s life.
“Hello family,” said Aventer Gray in an Instagram post. “My family and I stand in need of a miracle. Please keep my husband…in your prayers.”
John Gray’s Life in Danger
In her post, Aventer explained that after “feeling a little different” for a couple weeks, John Gray went to the ER, where he “was immediately admitted.” The Grays learned John had a “saddle pulmonary embolism in the pulmonary artery and more lung blood clots.”
The pulmonary arteries are responsible for carrying blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. According to the National Library of Medicine, a saddle pulmonary embolism is a rare type of blood clot that can be life-threatening. Moreover, “saddle pulmonary embolism can be difficult to recognize, and data on its presentation, clinical features, and associated complications are sparse.”
“The Saddle PE is in a position that could potentially end his life if it shifts at all,” said Aventer. “The clot burden is severe and only God is holding it in place.” She said that John would need two types of surgery within the next 24 hours to relieve pressure on his heart, adding, “To place this in perspective, the doctor said that people have come into the hospital dead with this exact scenario he walked in with. The doctor said God has to keep him through the night and he can not move, not even get up to walk to a bathroom.”
Pastor John Gray
John Gray, a former associate pastor of Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, is a somewhat controversial figure. In 2019, Gray admitted to having an “emotional affair” with another woman, and in September 2020, Gray apologized to his wife and congregation after new allegations surfaced of an inappropriate relationship. Gray did not address specifics, but said some aspects of the rumors were true and some were not.
Gray has faced several lawsuits in recent years. One of these involved a dispute between Relentless Church and Redemption Church, which had previously owned Relentless’s property. Gray’s church faced a potential eviction until the legal battle was resolved in November 2020.
