Meet your neighbor: Keith Ray

Published 2:30 pm Friday, April 22, 2011

Last month, Arbor Baptist Church welcomed a new member to the fold with the arrival of their new pastor, the Rev. Keith Ray.

Raised in Northport, Ala., Ray has been preaching since 1997, and has a wide variety of ministry experience under his belt.

He served as a long-term interim pastor for a variety of churches before working with a Christian scripture-based counseling ministry.

“I really felt like counseling was a weakness of pastors, so I was really glad to have that experience,” Ray said.

After a period of serving as an adjunct professor at Southeastern Bible College and an employee at Cook’s Pest Control, Ray took a long-term interim position at a Presbyterian USA church, despite his Baptist background. He stayed home to watch their young son during the day, while working as a teacher and pastor at night and over the weekends.

When a parishioner at that church asked for his resume, he didn’t suspect that it would lead to a pastoral job at Arbor Baptist Church in Pell City. But when members of the church’s pulpit committee pursued Ray for the open position, he was happy to send his information and find a church to call home.

“When we met the pulpit committee we liked them. They were very genuine, straight-shooters. When we came for a worship service, that sealed it that this is the right place for us,” Ray said.

After about a month at the church, Ray said it’s been a smooth transition.

“Things are going well. It feels like I’ve been here longer than I have, but in a good way,” Ray said.

Throughout his life, Ray has been involved with Baptist, Presbyterian and Assembly of God churches, and preached to congregations from 12 people to megachurches with numbers in the thousands.

“I’ve preached in high church, doing liturgy in robes, and I’ve preached wearing Crocs and a T-shirt,” Ray said.

But for Ray, how the message is delivered is less important than the message itself. He hopes to show the love of God through his church’s service to the Pell City community.  

“I want to bring an emphasis on the gospel that transcends our other boundaries, whether it be socioeconomic conditions or denominations,” Ray said. “I want to bring a sound word of God to impact lives, so people see that it’s true and they have an effect on their communities, as well. I’m here to equip people to change their communities, not to do it for them.”