Raymond Isbell

Ray is a retired U.S.M.C. Lt. Col. and a retired Research Scientist for National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (N.G.A.) in the Washington D.C. area where he worked on developing advanced imaging technologies for the U.S. Government’s Intelligence Community.  Ray’s early years as a Christian were spent on the theological battlefield as he struggled to determine if he was really saved.  There was no shortage of critics who were quick to deny him assurance of salvation because of his struggles with doubt, sin, and other less than divine shortcomings. Faith was a challenge for him as a young engineering graduate student, and the answers offered by professional theologians were less than satisfying.  After college, Ray joined the Marine Corps.  Moving around as a Marine Officer from duty station to duty station was the norm.  Every move required finding a new church.  It wasn’t fun when you are faced with a choice of either Calvinism or Arminianism.  Finding a Free Grace church was rare.  At age 54 Ray decided to go to Capital Bible Seminary in Lanham, M.D. not to get a degree, but to get some language skills and a good dose of Systematic Theology and Church history so he could read and understand theological literature.  This enabled Ray to dig into the Bible, Journal literature, and commentaries to figure out what’s correct and what is not.  After years of personal study, Ray landed in the Free Grace camp which he claims is overwhelmingly the winner in the war on truth.  He recently retired from N.G.A. and is devoting most of his time to researching difficult theological problems.  Ray loves to talk theology and offers a strong defense of the Free Grace position.