After the Navy he was married, and went to Oregon State University getting a degree in Civil Engineering.  He then worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation as an Civil Engineer, becoming  registered in 1969. In those years Pastor Ross was a surveyor-inspector, Assistant Resident Engineer, Resident Bridge Engineer, and Assistant to the Department of Transportation Director.  He was also the Assistant Project Engineer on the Banfield Mass Transit project (Light Rail) .

After fifteen years with the State of Oregon, he took a job with Morris Brothers Construction as a Construction Superintendent, which was about the same time as he began attending church again.  After going to several churches of different denominations, he found the Milwaukie United Methodist Church, and it was the beginning of a life-changing experience. After several moves, and increased activity in the church, he finally felt called to ordained ministry while at the Albany United Methodist Church, and the family moved to Denver where he attended Iliff School of Theology for three years. He was ordained a Deacon while in seminary and two years after graduation an Elder in the United Methodist Church.

Since then he has served three churches.  The first was the Garden Home United Methodist Church, then the Madras United Methodist Church, and now the Oregon City United Methodist Church.  He has also served as the Chair of Camp and Retreat Ministries, on the Board of Ordained Ministries, Chair of the District Committee on Church and Location, and currently is on a new Conference committee, the Congregational Response Team, designed to help hurting congregations heal.