Who are our leaders?

Our leaders are ordinary guys who love Jesus Christ and are called by him to oversee (1 Peter 5:1-4) this fellowship at Refuge Calvary Chapel in Bradenton. Their supreme desire is to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ through gospel-centered worship, community, service and witness.

Ray Dick, Lead Pastor

Ray & Natasha Together with his wife Natasha, Ray serves as our Lead Pastor. Ray arrived in Bradenton in 2005 when God called him here to begin a new church fellowship. What began in Ray's living room as a gospel-centered Bible study, God has blossomed into Refuge Calvary Chapel.

As Ray continues to walk in faith in response to this call, he is totally amazed at God's ongoing grace & mercy to bring glory to the name of Jesus through the humblest of means & circumstances. Ray is totally amped & filled with excitement concerning all that Jesus has done in & through the Refuge family thus far and trust that the Lord is just getting started. (Ephesians 3:20)

Ray's greatest desire is to impassion God's people to hunger for more of Christ as they grow in His Word & walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit as they together partner in the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Darin Shedelbower, Discipleship Pastor

Darin and Family Together with his wife Liza and their four sons Elijah, Hezekiah, Nehemiah and Ezekial, Darin serves as our Discipleship Pastor. Darin received Christ as a business man at a tent revival service at Sarasota Baptist Church approximately 20 years ago. God has given Darin a hunger and a trust in God’s word, and a heart to love others like Jesus. Before being called to serve at Refuge in 2008, Darin spent eight years serving the Lord in fulltime ministry as a Christian School Administrator.

It is Darin's hope that our church would indeed be a “Refuge” for hurting souls - a place of healing, safety & nourishment in Jesus Christ for both those who do not yet know Christ and for Christians who have been wounded or damaged in the battle. That all will be nourished in His Love and by His grace be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and restored into champions for His Truth and Love, listening to His voice and obeying his word wholeheartedly!