Pastoral Staff
Ray & Carol Befus, Lead Pastors
Ray and Carol married young and prepared together for a lifetime of pastoral ministry. From Calvin College ( BA, 1977) to Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM, 1982), from mission endeavors in southern Ireland to sub-Sahara Africa, they have invested thirty years in the adventure of church planting and pastoral ministry. Today Ray guides Vineyard North's staff and leadership development; he oversees the Sunday preaching ministry; and he is developing new ministries to married couples and couples anticipating marriage. Carol serves within the church part-time as a pastor to women as well as our coordinator of Sunday ministries to children. Ray and Carol also serve the larger Vineyard movement as Area Pastoral Care Leaders, providing support and oversight for the Vineyard pastors and churches in West Michigan. This additional sphere of ministry provides Vineyard North staff and ministry leaders the opportunity to travel with Ray and Carol, blessing and equipping ministry leaders and teams in other Vineyard Churches. When Ray and Carol aren't busy with pastoral ministry, they enjoy opening their home in personal hospitality, gardening, home handyman projects, motorcycling, hanging out with their four adult children, and babysitting their grandkids.
