Lee West, Ph.D.  Senior Pastor

I was reared in the home of a missionary Baptist Deacon who chartered the first church I attended. This fashioned my faith and Christian foundation.  This foundation was tested when I served in the U.S.  Air Force and flew into many foreign lands and faced different cultures.  Going in harm’s way firmed my faith in God’s protective power.  Being a pilot, I have empathy with those who find themselves in environments dealing with the terminal state of this life.

Later,  I was an Air-Traffic Controller for the FAA. There, I was charged with the responsibility for the lives of many people in flight.  This taught me quick and quality decision-making abilities and accountability.  After the FAA, I spent years in Pastoring with the Assembly of God.  This, was followed by over a decade of working on staff, and Pastoring, with an international Christian University. That experience, impacted my belief in the importance of Christian education in aiding one"s evangelizing efforts as well as their individual Christian growth. The vision for RAPHA INTERNATIONAL was birthed from these efforts.