David Ray's Contribution to Christian Education

By: Amber Warnke

David Ray, Assistant Vice President for ACSI USA and Director for Florida with 46 years of Christian education experience, is retiring from this position in December. During his time in this role, he has provided support, encouragement, and consultation to schools and leaders on a variety of educational topics. He has been able to use his prior experience as a former educator and head of school to relate in a special way to the needs of boards, leadership teams, and faculty members, as well as families and students, providing helpful and practical solutions to a myriad of challenges.

In addition to leading board trainings, strategic planning sessions, and faculty in-service opportunities, David has provided opportunities for school leaders to gather either virtually or in-person at Leadership Network Meetings, Leader Roundtables, and Leadership Network Lunches throughout the academic year. In addition, he and his state advocacy team have constantly monitored both Florida and national legislation affecting Christian schools. David has represented ACSI with the Florida Association of Academic Non-Public Schools and the Florida Department of Education.

Far from stepping out of the realm of education, David is transitioning to a new role as an ACSI Field Director. He noted that he was quite surprised when he was asked to return to ACSI in January 2026 to step into this new position. But he embraces this opportunity, considering it God’s prompting and gift.

He is particularly excited to help establish a pilot program for ACSI that has been in the development stage for about a year. This initiative, which David and his team are calling “State Impact Teams,” will “help ACSI return to its grassroots and utilize key school leaders in various roles to minister to other school leaders.” Their goal is to reach all 50 states with this program and, eventually, expand beyond U.S. borders. The Field Director Program, a group of 40-50 school leaders that each minister to a group of schools that David helped establish, will play a key role in springboarding the State Impact Teams.

Because Florida has the second-most ACSI member schools in the country, its State Impact Team will be the pilot program for the initiative, and David will serve as Senior Field Director. He will coordinate and directly work with the three field directors and the volunteers, set up network groups around the state, and personally serve around 120 schools. He explained that the new role is quite similar to his current job, “but the success of this pilot will help drive the establishment of the program in additional states next year.”

What is David’s main takeaway about his new role? As always, it is Christ-centered. He is “looking forward to getting this pilot off the ground and setting up a program that will have a nationwide and even possibly global impact for Kingdom education.”

He may be stepping out of his current role, but David’s work will continue to impact countless lives for the cause of Christian education.