Emmaus Ministries Staff
Caleb Ives - Executive Director
Caleb is a 2012 graduate of our School of Biblical Studies, holds a BA in Youth Ministry and Christian Education from Lee University, and has a Masters of Theology from Regent University. Caleb travels regularly with Heart Cry International providing Biblical education and training in Discipleship. Caleb is married to Latoya and they have four beautiful daughters: Lily, Grace, Maya, and Faith.
Stephen Ray- Communications Director & Teaching Staff
Stephen was born and raised in Michigan. He attended Oakland University in Rochester MI, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Communication and a minor in public relations. In 2016, Stephen moved to Oviedo FL in order to attend the Emmaus School of Biblical Studies. It was during his year at Emmaus that Stephen discovered a great love for digging into the scriptures and Advancing the Gospel in the hearts of students. Stephen is the director of Communications and oversees the Seminar ministry of Emmaus. Stephen also teaches for the school and Biblical Narrative Series. If you would like to learn more about Stephen and his ministry, check out his website: www.stephenray.org
Jacob McRae - Teaching and Administrative Staff
Jacob graduated from the Emmaus School of Biblical Studies in 2017 and immediately felt God calling him to join Emmaus’ mission to promote Bible literacy among the church and their community. Jacob has undergone YWAM’s Discipleship Training School and later spent time as the youth pastor for his home church in Virginia. Jacob is married to Samantha and has two children, Benaiah and Eleanor. Read more about their lives on their website: JacobAndSamantha.org
Morgan Phaneuf - Director of Operations
Morgan spent most of her life either on the beaches or in the mountains of NC. She attended the University of North Carolina Asheville where she met her husband Justin. In 2016, they moved to Central Florida and that's when she found Emmaus. She was a student in the School of Biblical Studies and developed a deep love for Scripture such a passion for Biblical literacy that she became a part of the staff after graduation and has been here ever since. In 2022 her family grew from 2 children, Drake and Tannis, to 3 with the adoption of her middle child, Favian, from Colombia, South America. She's a member of the teaching team at Emmaus and enjoys her role as "the keeper of the calendar." Outside of work, Morgan is a student at Asbury Theological Seminary in the Masters of Marriage and Family Counseling program and she enjoys reading books, listening to podcasts and hanging out with her beloved dogs. To learn more about Morgan and her family follow her blog: www.phaneufphamily.wordpress.com
Jennifer Welch - Networking & Church Partnerships/Worship Coordinator
Jen grew up on the East coast of Florida. She ventured to Sydney, Australia to study Worship & Production at Hillsong Bible College for 3 years. God then led her back to Florida to work in church ministry for 8+ years. She has worn many hats in ministry including Worship Leader, Creative Director, Production Director, and Admin/Communications. Jen graduated from Emmaus’s School of Biblical Studies in 2022 and is passionate about discipling people to know God personally and understanding Him more through studying the bible.
Sarah Phaneuf
Sarah grew up in a small town just south of Charlotte, NC. She graduated from UNC-Wilmington with her BA in Criminal Justice. In late 2019, she and her husband, Barrett, moved to central Florida. Right away she started getting involved with Emmaus. She attended the online courses they offered during COVID, the Narrative Series, and eventually graduated from the School for Biblical Studies in 2022. Her student year and the following year as Support Staff changed her life, and after three years of investing in Emmaus as a student, she felt God calling her to pursue joining staff. Sarah is passionate about numbers and finances, so to be able to mix that love with the desire to break the cycle of Biblical illiteracy among believers is the epitome of a dream job for her. Together Sarah and Barrett have one baby boy named Micah.
Dena Sites - Teaching Staff
Dena was born and raised in Southern California. She attended San Diego State University for undergrad and then Southwestern Law School for her law degree. She practiced law for six years in California before God called her to move to Florida to attend Emmaus’ School of Biblical Studies (SBS). Emmaus completely changed her life, teaching her how to inductively study the Bible through the lens of historical background, and giving her a deeper understanding of God’s character and an understanding for the first time of how all Scripture fit together. After her student year, Dena felt called to join the staff of Emmaus to pour into new students and walk with them through the same experience that so profoundly changed her life. Dena is on the discipleship and Bible instruction team of Emmaus’ SBS, and on the development team of Emmaus Ministries.
Kristi Marsh - Director of Spiritual Formation, Assistant Director of Strategy and Implementation, and Foundations Lead
Kristi is from West Tennessee. She graduated from Lee University and received her Masters at Dallas Theological Seminary. Kristi taught Bible and coached High School students for 13 years before coming to Emmaus in 2019. She is passionate about the Old Testament, wrestling with challenging topics, and teaching people to understand God’s Word to be transformed by it. She also enjoys traveling, Alabama football, Scuba diving, and having a good time with friends and family.