Board of Directors
Dr. Darrel W. Ray is the founder of Recovering From Religion, as well as the author of four books, two on organizational team issues as well as The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture and Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality. He has been a psychologist for over 30 years, practicing counseling and clinical psychology for 10 years then moved into organizational psychology and consulting. He has been a student of religion most of his life and holds a MA degree in religion as well as a BA in Sociology/Anthropology and a Doctorate in psychology.
Sarah Morehead was raised as an evangelical Southern Baptist with family deeply rooted in the conservative Southern Baptist church, and had spent many years seeking to live a life as a faithful and dutiful Christian wife before letting go of her religious beliefs. She has been involved in organizational leadership with many local area groups over the past 15 years, and brings a clear direction and focus to Recovering From Religion that will allow RR to achieve our many goals both now and in the future. Passionate about her desire to help others let go of the confines of faith, she has a tremendous empathy and appreciation for the many challenges associated with disengaging from lifelong religious belief systems.
Teresa MacBain became a non-believer after more than 20 years of ministry throughout the Deep South. Through a long process of questioning, research, and reality-based thinking, she discovered the religious faith she’d built her life upon was simply a lie. She came out publicly as an atheist during the 2012 American Atheist convention in Bethesda, Maryland.
Her ministry experience began early in life, serving along side her father who was a Baptist minister. She taught in Christian schools for many years, and then served as a worship pastor, associate pastor, and senior pastor in Methodist churches. Teresa received her B.S. in Christian Education at Samford University and her M.Div. at Duke Divinity School.
Teresa holds the distinction of being the first female member of the Clergy Project, a private online support group for pastors who no longer believe in the supernatural, to “come out” publicly as an atheist.
Nathan Phelps is an author and engaging speaker on religion and child abuse, as well as an outspoken LGBT advocate, and the Executive Director for the Center For Inquiry in Calgary. He has literally dedicated his life to spreading his message to others who have faced abuse and has become a true inspiration, especially to those who have grown up in oppressive religious families. The son of the notorious Fred Phelps, Nathan was raised inside Westboro Baptist Church, America’s most infamous church family. He grew up physically, emotionally and mentally bullied every single day by his father, all in the name of God, until his 18th birthday when he managed to finally escape. Today his family, including his siblings, still protest extreme hate worldwide. Despite his background, Nathan has created his own and hopes to continue spreading his message of healing, love, and acceptance.
Richard Haynes was raised in a nonreligious home, but as a teenager had a “born again” experience. He almost immediately became an evangelist, and personally led hundreds to Christ. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies, and became an associate minister in a 12,000 member mega-church. In 1993, he and his wife Angela made the agonizing decision to leave their church, which was engulfed with scandal. Terrified and unemployed, they began their long and arduous journey away from religion and free from faith. Richard is now secularly ordained and has dedicated himself to building supportive secular communities, encouraging countless others to “come out” as non-believers.
