MONDAY MENTION
Ray Hadley, Class of 1994 Ray Hadley graduated from Southeastern University in 1994 with a degree in Christian Ministries. After school, his passion for ministry developed and strengthened as he built a youth program from scratch working with several different denominations in southern Ohio. After a few years and a move to Tennessee, Ray moved back to Ohio where he took on the title of Bible teacher, soccer coach, and chaplain for a Christian school for a few years. He left this to become an Associate Pastor for the next 12 years. According to Ray, “It was after those 12 years that I found out what God made me for.” Ray married his wife Jen 28 years ago. They now have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. When Ray and his family were presented with the opportunity to pursue church planting, a local church hired him to go to Ada, Ohio to carry out God’s work there. The Hadley’s challenged themselves by moving away from the comfort and security they had in their church, job, and home. In the first year, the church they planted had their own services in the mother church’s gym until they left to launch their own campus in 2014. This launch started on the campus of Ohio Northern University and met there for
4 years. The church moved into a building 8 years ago, and the Hadley’s are still serving there today. Ray’s experience at Southeastern prepared him for the work he does now. “It gave me opportunities that I never would have had before.” He went on several domestic mission trips; one even to the Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans. These trips were incredibly essential and impactful to Ray. It was these moments that allowed for him to experience spiritual warfare and as he tells it, “Even better - God broke my heart for the lost in ways that I still carry.” While at SEU, Ray also filled his time by playing on the soccer team and having a blast with his teammates. He remembers kicking over fire ant hills and playing at a soccer tournament in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon being asked about his favorite memories, Ray also shared about the opportunity to tour with the ministry team called Hearts Afire. They spent their whole summer in a cramped up van. This enabled him to minister on the Orange Blossom Trail team every Saturday night. Ray felt like he’d found a setting that fit him well. He was able to use his God-given gifts to build relationships with friends and others around him. These experiences still impact Ray as he pastors the church that God has entrusted him with today.
A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N