Ray was invited to join the staff of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, Tennessee in January, 2002 to begin the preparation for the opening of the BabbCenter in May, 2002. Prior to his work at the BabbCenter, Ray was pastor of churches in Indiana, Virginia, and Tennessee—the last being the First Baptist Church of Lebanon, Tennessee for fourteen years.
Shortly before beginning work at First Baptist Hendersonville he served on the administrative staff at Tennessee Christian Medical Center in Madison, Tennessee, coordinating services for community ministers, ministering to staff and patients, as well as developing and promoting the behavioral programs of the hospital.
With his unique combination of pastoral and mental health experience, the BabbCenter has been a great place to utilize his gifts for helping people receive hope, help, and healing. Through the years Ray has served on various boards of agencies and institutions, including the board of trustees for Belmont University and Baptist Hospital (now St. Thomas Midtown) in Nashville, Tennessee. More recently, he serves on the Mental Health Advisory Committee of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Faith and Justice Alliance Committee for the state of Tennessee.
In addition to his responsibilities at the BabbCenter, Ray is also the Minister of Pastoral Care for First Baptist Church Hendersonville. Ray graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky with a master of divinity degree, master of arts in Christian education, and a doctor of ministry degree. He and his wife, Gail, have two sons and four grandchildren.