Ray has been married to Michelle for 20 years and they are the parents of Stephen (18), Elie (16), Maya Rivera (16) and Sophia (6).

Originally from northern California, Ray has been in vocational church ministry since 2007 and was ordained as a minister in 2011. He has a bachelor's degree in Bible & Theology/Christian Leadership from William Jessup University in Rocklin, CA.

Valuing the inclusive values of the UMC, Ray and his family moved to NC in 2021 to join and serve in a UM church and started the process of becoming a UMC pastor as soon as he could in 2022. He was licensed as a Local Pastor in July 2024 and will complete his MDiv at Duke Divinity School in May of 2027.

He likes to run and watch the Los Angeles Dodgers, sometimes for fun, sometimes as an experience of pain. Ray can often be found drinking coffee and reading at Smoky Mountain Roasters in Hazelwood and taking advantage of the walking path around Lake Junaluska.