About Pastor Ray Eubanks III
My name is Pastor Ray Eubanks, III. It is my joy to share just a bit about who I am, and how I came to be in Vienna, West Virginia, to start Glory of Agape Worship Center.
My roots are in North Carolina, where as a child, I enjoyed growing up with lots of cousins and family to provide a rich heritage that would prove important later in my life. While I have fond memories of attending church early on, and giving my heart to the Lord around age 14, within a couple of years I was not even attending church. I was very dissatisfied with the disconnect between what I was reading and the lack of results I was seeing in everyday life. Of my choosing, I started down a slippery path that would lead to drinking, later on drugs, and eventually diving into a party lifestyle as I worked for a heavy metal rock band. To say the least, my life went from bad to worse. There was no sense of purpose beyond the next gig or party. It was really bothering me. I was angry, disappointed in myself, and filled with a shame that just seemed to hover like a bad cloud over my every waking moment.
In 1983, things hit rock bottom. And I still recall, even as the spiral seemed to be picking up speed, there were faithful witnesses who tried to share about this salvation, and I cursed them and let them know they better get out of my face. If we fail to heed the Father’s call, we will hit the wall. That wall may be jail time. It may be out of control addictions, feeling totally helpless to change. Which made me even angrier. And so I drank and partied even more. By the grace of God, I walked away from that environment, but the lifestyle tried to follow me. It was only after rededicating my life to the Lord Jesus in December of 1983 that the burden of sin and shame were lifted off my life. It took a while to renew my mind, which we are encouraged to do in Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We are here to help you through the process.
I share my shortcomings only so you can know, that the joy you see in my life, the victory you see in my life, the love of God for people of every nation, tribe, tongue, and kindred, came after having fallen so far. Jesus is waiting this very minute to receive you just as you are. Come and meet the Great Physician, who has healing for your spirit, soul, and body. Today.
It is my hope that you will visit Glory of Agape Worship Center, that you will dare allow yourself even a glimmer of a hope that things can be better. That you were meant for more. I’m hear to say amen and cover you with prayers that our brother James calls, fervent and effectual.
In 1987, I received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and later in prophecy as well. This equipping positioned me so that as I was in worship in 1999, at my church, on a regular Sunday, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, West Virginia is calling. Like most of us would respond, I said ok, looked around, and didn’t see anyone else noticing what I heard. I continued in worship and a second time I heard the Holy Spirit say, West Virginia is calling. I said ok again, and made a note of it in my notebook. As I was on the way out of service I shared with my pastor, that I didn’t know what it was in reference to, why I would be hearing this, or what, but I had heard twice that West Virginia is calling. I let him know I was just trying to be obedient to God in sharing with him. Over the next few weeks we learned there was an opportunity to actually go to West Virginia and become a pastor. As with many things, our timing and our right now, may not be the Fathers. Since that time, I have known I was coming, and not until May of this year, was the door truly opened to come, and in August, my Terry and I moved to West Virginia. Our daughter Rachel will join us periodically as she completes college.
We are so excited to be in our Promised Land. We offer you the hope that only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ that will help you reach yours as well.