OUR BOARD

My name is Clay Ryan. I am a Financial Advisor living in Fort Worth, TX. I was born and raised in El Paso, and lived there until my wife and I moved to Fort Worth in 2002. While still living in El Paso, I knew of Casas por Cristo through church and from stories of people I met who had been on a build. It wasn’t until I met Pete Dockery (former Guatemala Field Director) in 2001 and became friends with him that I truly began to understand and appreciate all that Casas did.  In 2011, Pete told me about Casas expanding into Guatemala. God laid it on my heart to organize a trip and I have been on a build in Guatemala every year since. My passion for seeing the ministry continue to grow and reach more lives led me to serve on the board. My favorite thing about the ministry is the relationships we have with the local pastors in each of our locations.

I know no other life outside of the ministry. My parents served as missionaries with Colegio Biblico in Eagle Pass, TX / Piedras Negras, MX for 37 years. I studied Youth and Pastoral Ministry at Dallas Christian College and New Testament Preaching at Johnson Bible College. I have served on staff at the Christian Church of Midland, TX, First Christian Church in Weslaco, TX, and Raintree Christian Church in Lubbock, TX. Somewhere along the way, I met, fell in love with, and married my wife of over 20 years, Rio, and witnessed the birth of our beautiful daughter, Taylor. After serving on the board at Casas por Cristo for a couple of years, I came on staff as the Executive Director in 2005. I have never felt more at home than I do here. This is what God has been preparing me for my entire life. I love being able to present the gospel to people in a real and tangible way. I love being able to connect regular church folks with regular families in foreign countries and let them see that they are both children of the King. If I'm not here doing something with Casas or remodeling something at my house, you'll find me at some campground. Our family loves to camp. Any time I can string a couple of days together you'll find my wife and I pulling our trailer to some state or national park and getting away from it all. The staff here insists that in my retirement I am going to be a tour guide at some park.

Hi there! My name is Antonio, and I am thrilled to share a little about myself with you. With over 25 years of experience in the field of Risk Management, I have had the privilege of working for various industries throughout my career. But what really drives me is my passion to serve those in need. I feel that serving God and following the plans he has for me is consistent with what the apostle Paul said that as followers of Christ, we are no longer our own. We have been bought with a price, purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. In James Chapter 2 verse 17, James says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Even before I become a Christian, I have always had it in my heart to serve and help others. It is in my nature. When I'm not busy at work or volunteering for a cause, you can usually find me spending quality time with my family. I am a proud father to both a son and daughter who have already finished college and undergraduate education, nothing brings me more joy than seeing them thrive in their own lives. I love pushing myself physically by doing challenging hikes or hitting the road on my bicycle or motorcycle. I enjoy participating in and giving back to the community through nonprofit organizations and charity events such as building homes, doing repair work, and even riding in bike rallies.

Hi, I’m Jenn. I work in the field of Retail Security in the Sales and Marketing function. I help retailers to be able to reduce their theft and increase sales. I first got involved with Casas when I went on a Legacy Build to the Dominican Republic in the Fall of 2017. I absolutely fell in love with the ministry. Missions and international development has been a passion of mine for a long time. I was previously working for a global non-profit, and when I decided to move into Corporate, I desired to still be a part in growing the Kingdom. Serving on the board for Casas seemed like the perfect way to do this. I love the sustainability and the growth for the local church. When a home is built, the local church in that community is the hero. They are the ones that are building the relationships, helping these families, and pouring into their communities. All we are doing is supporting them and providing that local pastor with a tool to reach their community!  

Hi. I’m James, and I am a pastor in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I went on my first build with Casas in the summer of 1999 and have been going back ever since. The mission of Casas is life changing and kingdom advancing. Few missions organizations have a return on investment like Casas por Cristo. Lives are changed and people come to Christ through the work the of the ministry. I want to be a part of organizations that make a difference in the world and the Kingdom, and Casas is one of those organizations. This is why I have chosen to serve on their board. Being with a family as they receive a house and hearing a local pastor share the gospel is priceless.