RAY GIUNTA


Las Vegas, NV



RAY GIUNTA


Co-founder and chaplain of We Care Mininstries

Pastor, Author, Conference speaker, Ray Giunta is the co-founder of We Care Ministries a Christian social service organization dedicated to providing intervention through compassion and training to individuals and communities in times of crisis.

Daily he serves as the Encouragement Pastor at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas Nevada. He oversees the care for the congregation of 8000 members and all of the community outreach to the city of Las Vegas. As the pastor of encouragement he oversees a staff of fifteen pastors, professional counselors, social workers and interns who dedicate themselves to bringing the sustainable hope of Christ to people.

Giunta has been ministry since 1987 providing compassionate care to individuals, families and communities in time of need. He has worked alongside FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association), the American Red Cross and the Salvation army at several national disaster sites including San Francisco, Killeen, Oklahoma City, New York City and currently the Gulf Coast destruction during Hurricane Katrina. He also has served at several school yard and corporate mass shootings throughout the nation

For 90 days after 911, he led eight ministry teams serving rescue and recovery workers on a rotational basis at the disaster site of the World Trade Center. His teams provided physical, emotional and spiritual support to firefighters, police officers, construction workers and family members. He recorded 68 days working directly in the heart of the battle at ground zero.

It was the team’s responsibility and privilege to pray for the deceased and offer prayers of condolences for families and crew members who had lost their loved ones. He was honored to wrap the fallen heroes in American flags and assist by escorting their remains to the temporary morgue in recognition of their great sacrifice. He provided love, compassion and care for so many.

After his daily shift at Ground Zero, Ray served the faculty and staff at the Borough of Manhattan Community College where he counseled about 400 faculty members and 3,000 students. He also conducted and participated in training in New York churches, which equipped pastors and lay people with the tools to deal with grief and trauma.

As a communicator his soft spoken presentation inparts encouragement and hope to all who hear him speak. Weather speaking from the pulpits of America’s largest churches or sharing at a men’s retreat or couples conference with his wife of 21 years Cathy, you can be sure of one thing. People will see Jesus. His passion is equipping lay people for the wonderful privledge of serving people.

He has authored two books, God @ Ground Zero, Integrity Publishers, August 2002 and The Grief Recovery Workbook, Integrity Publishers, December 2002. Additionally, he has published curriculum to train lay people in Discipleship for new believers, marriages and men. He has coauthored the “Healing the Broken Hearted training. Teaching those in congregations how to bring compassionate crisis intervention to hurting people in times of need.

Pastor Ray is an ordained minister with the Evangelical Church Association. He is a member in good standing with the American Association of Christian Counselors as well as a certified trauma specialist.

Ray has received numerous awards as a Criminal Investigator as well as for his service as a chaplain including “Investigator of the Year,” The California Governor’s “Heroes in Health Care,” award as well as recognition from California State Legislature for outstanding service in Oklahoma City and New York City. For his life time work in trauma intervention he was honored to received the American Red Cross’ “Good Samaritan” Award.

Giunta holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social work from California State University in Sacramento, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral Studies from Berean University. Today, he travels the country teaching ‘Healing the Brokenhearted” seminars. He and his wife, Cathy and their three children live in Sacramento, California.

The We Care Ministries Crisis Intervention Chaplains’ team touched about 15,000 people with physical, emotional and prayer support. Through their presentation of the “Healing the Brokenhearted” Seminar, more than 2,000 workers were trained to serve the needs of fellow New Yorkers. Chaplain Ray inspired his team to go on day after day – pushing forward in their quest to help others when it was most needed.

After an early career as criminal investigator for the state of California, Giunta was drawn to crisis care after reading a front-page story of two little boys who were struck by a car and killed while riding together on a tricycle. As he was reading the article, he found out that both were children of single mothers and his immediate concern? Who was helping these mothers during the worst crisis any parent can experience? Giunta walked past the yellow police tape to offer comfort to the single mothers, which was the beginning of a career that has touched the lives of numerous disaster-stricken families.