Ray Nothstine was opinion editor at Carolina Journal and a Second Amendment research fellow at the John Locke Foundation. He previously served for over seven years as managing editor of Religion & Liberty, a publication of the Acton Institute, an internationally top-ranked think tank in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

His writings have appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, Detroit News, Charlotte Observer, The Birmingham News, The Boston Herald, and numerous state policy think-tanks. He has extensive experience in radio and lecturing on public policy and cultural issues, including over a decade of writing and research work on the Second Amendment. He has worked in Christian ministry, journalism, and on the staff of former U.S. Congressman Gene Taylor (D-Miss).

Nothstine is a graduate with a Master of Divinity (M.Div) degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He also holds a B.A. in political science from The University of Mississippi in Oxford. He currently lives in Garner with his wife and two sons.