Return to Articles Index Vera Riley's Heritage By Glenn Gohr Some of the richest assets of the Assemblies of God are not its buildings or its possessions, but its people. And it is the body of pioneer and retired ministers who sacrificed so much in the early years who have helped to make our church what it is today. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who have paved the way before us. Recently, Vera Riley passed away in Russellville, Arkansas at the age of 92. She devoted her life to full-time gospel ministry, never looking ahead to her own future needs Like her parents before her, Vera's emphasis was on winning souls for the kingdom of God. She knew that if God could take care of the sparrows, He would surely take care of her needs. She gave no thought for the morrow. One thing unique about the Riley family is that Vera, her father and mother, L.L. Riley and daughter Vera at a camp meeting in the 1930's Luther and Josie Riley, and her little sister, Opal, all attended the organizational meeting at Hot Springs in April 1914. Vera was one of the very last survivors of that historic gathering that took place 88 years ago. Although she was only 5 years old at the founding convention, Vera has recorded on tape some of her memories of the first General Council. The anointed singing and preaching at the evening services left a deep impression on her heart. There were messages in tongues and interpretation and powerful testimonies. This was convincing to believers and unbelievers alike. She remembers there was a parade of people four abreast who marched down the main street of Hot Springs to witness their faith and share about the meetings which were commencing in the Hot Springs Opera House. The delegates carried a large banner and sang an old familiar song, "We will wave the banner high, We will wave it to the sky, Let it wave, Let it wave, Let it wave." She also remembers meeting such notable men in the Assemblies of God as Chairman E. N. Bell, Howard Goss, J. Roswell Flower, and many others. Her father, Luther Riley, had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1912 during a time of family prayer. With the call of God on his life, he sold his farm and immediately began preaching the gospel. He held his first meetings in a tent at Booneville, Arkansas, where he was arrested for disturbing the peace. In 1913 he established a work at Havana, Arkansas. At the beginning of the revival services, he received a letter that said, "Will you please close out, get out, and stay out? If you don't, we are going to take you out and peel all the skin off of you." On the third night of the revival, he decided to read the letter to the crowd. He said, "I'm not closing. God has sent me here, and we're staying." That night Mrs. Riley and the children rode home in a wagon with some of the people. A group of the men decided to serve as bodyguards for Pastor Riley, but the Lord protected him, and nothing happened. There were many times in his ministry when people threw rotten eggs and tomatoes at him. Other times troublemakers threw rocks. But God always protected. Luther Riley, along with E. R. Fitzgerald, Dollie Simms, and others began a revival at Russellville, Arkansas on April 23, 1914, with the intention of pioneering a church there. This was just a week after the first general council ended at Hot Springs. During that time the pastors and their families prayed every night. Vera, at age 5, had already dedicated her life to Christ, and she joined in with the adults to pray for the services and lost souls. The services lasted until 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. as lives were changed It is estimated that over 500 were saved, and scores were baptized in the Holy Spirit during that 3-month period. It seemed as if the whole town was charged with the power of God. People were healed of various ailments, including pellagra. As the services were moved to a permanent building, this marvelous spirit-controlled revival went on continually for two years. After the revival at Russellville, he went to Havana, Arkansas, a small town where between 50 and 75 were saved in a year's time and a new congregation was established. While living there, Luther Riley and his 6-year-old daughter, Vera, and baby were all healed of typhoid fever in 1915. Riley next held a 9-week revival at Paris, Arkansas, and established a church which he shepherded until September of 1925. He left there to pastor First Assembly in Russellville. During his tenure at Russellville (1925-1939), a number of well-known evangelists came to town Some of these speakers included S. A. Jamieson, W. T. Gaston (who later became general superintendent of the Assemblies of God), A. H. Argue and his daughter Zelma from Canada, Smith Wigglesworth of England, and Edith Mae Pennington of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Rev. and Mrs. L.L. Riley in the early 1950's Pastor Riley's musical talent on the guitar inspired others of the congregation at Russellville to play their instruments at the services. Vera Riley played the saxophone, her brother Eugene placed the drums, and her sister Opal played the alto horn. Others joined in for a thriving church orchestra. As pastor of the Russellville church, his influence was far-reaching. He was even asked to preach at the 1939 General Council. Josie Riley, Vera's mother, filled the role of pastor's wife, which placed her in all sorts of ministry opportunities in the church. She was a Sunday school teacher and leader of the Women's Missionary Council. She believed in healing for her family and was healed many times herself. She was dramatically healed of typhoid fever and pneumonia. This was the kind of environment their daughter, Vera, saw every day of her life. Vera Hortense Riley was born June 1, 1909 at Magazine, Arkansas. She was saved when she was four years old and filled with the Holy Spirit at age 10. Her father baptized her in water, and the Lord called her into the ministry as a child. She began preaching at the age of 21. After attending a year of high school and Southwestern Bible School at Enid, Oklahoma, she pastored a church at Olla, Louisiana. The Arkansas District Council ordained her on October 20, 1938. Vera and a coworker, Jean Lucy, held a brush arbor meeting at Midland, Arkansas in 1938. While at Midland, they built a new church building for the congregation in 1940. The two lady preachers oversaw all the construction work. Sister Lucy even did all the wiring for the church, and it passed the city inspection codes with flying colors. Vera pastored at Havana, and Charleston, Arkansas. Then she traveled on the evangelistic field from 1954 through 1965. Her travels took her to Louisiana, California and other places. She transferred to the Iowa District and pastored a small church at Seymour, Iowa for the next 13 years. In 1978 she returned to her hometown of Russellville, Arkansas, and helped take care of her mother, who was elderly. Luther Riley had passed away on November 6, 1952. He and his wife had begun ministering before Social Security was instituted, and they gave all the money they had to help people and fledgling congregations. Both Vera Riley, and her mother, Josie Riley, received assistance from the Aged Ministers Assistance fund. They could not have made it without the help of the Assemblies of God Benevolences Department and AMA. And these are just two cases out of a large number of aged ministers who are in the same situation. It is interesting to note that Josie Riley received assistance for 20 years, and daughter Vera received assistance for 18 years. For 3 years they both received assistance together, for a total of 41 years. In one note sent to the Benevolences Department, Vera wrote, "Benevolences is a tremendous help and blessing to me. Thanks and God bless all." In fact, Vera had such an appreciation for AMA, that in 1977 she called and requested some slides, literature and brochures to share with her home church to help promote the cause of AMA. Vera Riley at the Arkansas District's 75th Anniversary parade in 1989 Josie Riley passed away on Jan. 12, 1984 at the age of 92. And Vera went on to her reward on January 4, 2002, also age 92. Vera's admonition to the church in the 21st Century is to "pray and pray and pray some more. We need more prayer warriors and workers to help spread the gospel, for time is short, and what we do for God must be done quickly." Vera Riley, along with her parents, Luther and Josie Riley, were pioneers who plowed for the harvest in the early days of our movement and laid the foundation for the church today. What a great heritage. We should not neglect our senior saints. It is only as God's people share the increasing burden of assisting the income of our elderly ministers, that the AMA ministry can continue.