Stephen (Steve) K. Ray
Stephen (Steve) K. Ray is a Catholic author, speaker, film producer and certified guide to the Holy Land who converted from Protestant Christianity in 1994.
Early life
Stephen Kim Ray was born in Detroit, MI on December 29, 1954, the third of five children of Charles and Frances Ray, who had converted to Protestant Christianity in the 1950s and joined a Baptist church.
Ray attended school at Gallimore Elementary in Canton, MI, and Plymouth-Salem High School in Plymouth, MI.
Building a business
While Ray was still in high school, he started helping a local entrepreneur clean offices. In 1975, Ray began his own cleaning business. The business was incorporated as Distinctive Maintenance, Inc. based in Livonia, MI, in January, 1987. At its peak, Distinctive Maintenance, Inc. employed 800 people and had annual sales of $12 million. In 2007 Ray sold the business to provide for a full-time commitment to other interests.
Conversion to the Catholic Church
In his late 30’s Ray began to question the large number of Christian denominations. While doing Biblical teaching in other churches, he also began to be concerned by the wide divergence of beliefs within Protestantism, especially in light of Christ's prayer for unity in St. John’s Gospel.
Influenced by the conversion of an Evangelical pastor (Al Kresta) to Catholicism, after much soul searching and study, Ray and his family entered the Catholic Church on May 22, 1994.
Catholic Evangelist
To explain his conversion to his Baptist father, Ray began to write a letter, which eventually became the manuscript for his first book, Crossing the Tiber. Using their love of the Bible and their knowledge of the Holy Land, Ray and his wife wrote, produced and hosted the film series, Footprints of God, an overview of salvation history which is a travelogue, biographies, apologetics and provides viewers with an appreciation of the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith. The adventure-styled documentaries are filmed entirely on locations in the Middle East and Europe.
Ray is a regular guest on Ave Maria Radio, Relevant Radio, EWTN Television Catholic Answers Live and many more. Ray also speaks throughout the United States and Canada. He has given conferences and talks in England, India, Philippines, Australia, Arab Emirates, Israel, Italy and other countries. Some of his talks have also been featured in multiple audio titles distributed by Lighthouse Catholic Media.
Ray and his wife have traveled the Middle East and Europe many times and he is a certified guide to the Holy Land. They conduct pilgrimages through the Holy Land together. They also lead pilgrimage groups to Italy, especially Rome and Assisi, and to other Catholic and biblical lands.
Associations
- Regent at Ave Maria University
- Research Fellow at Dr. Scott Hahn’s St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
- Board Member of Ave Maria Communications
- Theological Advisory Board for Catholics Come Home
- Advisory Council for Catholics United for the Faith
- Advisory Board and Writer for Catholic Scripture Studies International
- Founding Member and Advisor of Defensores Fidei Foundation
Books and Documentaries by Steve Ray
Some of Ray's written works include:
- "Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historic Church"
- Upon This Rock: St. Peter and the Primacy of Rome in Scriptures and the Early Church
- St. John’s Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary
Ray's film documentaries include:
- "Moses: Signs, Sacraments and Salvation"
- "Mary: Mother of God"
- "Peter: Keeper of the Keys"
- " Paul: Contending for the Faith"