About Our Pastor

Ray Strauss has is our Founding and Senior Pastor.  He is deeply committed to the Lord Jesus Christ and loves to help connect people to God and each other.  He enjoys helping people learn and fulfill God’s purpose for their life.  This is the wonderful way God transforms people and changes the world for good. Ray is so grateful the Lord called him to plant ECC in his home town of Edmond where he grew up.

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Ray became a Christian during high school when a teammate invited him to church and he heard the Good News of Jesus and was saved.  He attended Oklahoma Baptist University on a track and field scholarship where he became an All-American and National Champion in sprints.  After college, he attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

While at OBU, he met his beautiful bride and best friend, Christina.  Christina is an educator who has taught in public and private schools as well as homeschool.  While in AZ, she served as Principal of the K-8 school. Together, they have three sons.

Shortly after Ray planted in Arizona, he was asked by the mayor of the city to run for City Council, which he did. Serving as both Pastor and Councilmember opened up many ministry opportunities, everything from planting churches in new communities to influencing policy with Biblical application.  Ray loves to help make disciples of Jesus among those serving in the political arena.

Prior to planting ECC, Ray planted and pastored in the Phoenix area and has served on staff at churches in North Carolina and Oklahoma.  He served as the former Director of Capitol Ministries for Oklahoma and also served with the Oklahoma Baptists in church planting strategies and North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as Church Planting Catalyst for Oklahoma.