Raul Ries (1947–) is a Mexican-American preacher, pastor, and evangelist whose dramatic transformation from a violent past to a life of ministry has made him a prominent figure in evangelical Christianity. Born on August 30, 1947, in Mexico City, Mexico, Ries endured a childhood marked by physical and emotional abuse from his alcoholic father. At age 10, he immigrated to the United States with his mother, sister, and brother, settling in Los Angeles after escaping his father’s brutality. As a teenager, he became known for his aggression, culminating in a near-fatal fight at 18 that led to a choice between prison or the military. Opting for the latter, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967, earning two Purple Hearts. After his discharge, he married Sharon Faith Farrel, whom he met in high school, and they had three sons, though his early marriage was strained by his ongoing anger and abuse. Ries’s preaching career began after a life-altering conversion on Easter Sunday 1972. Planning to kill his family and himself amid a failing marriage, he turned on the television and heard Pastor Chuck Smith preaching about Jesus’s love, prompting him to surrender his life to Christ. Ordained by Smith in 1975 at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Ries started a home Bible study that grew into Calvary Chapel West Covina, later moving to Diamond Bar, California, in 1993, where it became Calvary Chapel Golden Springs, now serving over 12,000 attendees weekly. He founded Somebody Loves You Ministries, broadcasting on over 350 radio stations worldwide, and produced films like Fury to Freedom, reflecting his journey. Despite a 2007 health crisis involving seizures and PTSD flashbacks, he continued preaching, leaving a legacy of redemption and outreach, including missions to veterans and global pastor conferences. Ries and Sharon, who battled breast cancer until her death in May 2024, remained married for over 50 years.