remembering grandpa ray Free Will Baptist missions pioneer Raymond Riggs died Monday, April 13, 2009, surrounded by his family. The following article was submitted by his granddaughter Susan Henderson. For more information about Free Will Baptist International Missions, visit www.fwbgo.com.

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Author Susan Henderson recalls fond memories of Grandfather Raymond Riggs

Remembering Grandpa Ray

by Susan Henderson

When Raymond Riggs greeted Jesus on the evening of April 13, 2009, the world lost an incredible man of God. His tireless efforts on both home and foreign mission fields in church planting and evangelism will be sorely missed and likely never matched. However, I’m going to leave the task of memorializing his ministry to the respective missions departments, churches, and agencies that are far more qualified to pay tribute to his accomplishments. I did not know Missionary Riggs, Church Planter Riggs, or Reverend Riggs. I knew Grandpa Ray, and if you’ll permit me a few moments, I’d like you to know him, too.

The first time I met Charles Raymond Riggs, he stood in the doorway of the Marriott Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. My grandmother Burnice (Bea) Davis had commissioned me to serve as her chaperone at the Free Will Baptist National Convention, where she reunited with her old friend Raymond to “see if there was a spark.” When I laid eyes for the first time on the man who would soon be my Grandpa Ray, I knew we were in for an exciting ride.

With infectious laughter, a zest for life you don’t find in most 30 year-olds, and an ornery streak a mile long, Ray stepped into my family with the ease of a familiar foot donning a well-worn slipper. He just naturally belonged. He blew my expectations of Reverend Raymond Riggs out of the water from the start. I quickly discovered that the Free Will Baptist icon, in whose presence demons trembled and angels tread lightly was a man, and a fun one at that. Never stuffy, condescending, or holier-than-thou Ray entered into everyday life, eager to be one of us, and in so doing provided the perfect answer to the now-famous question, “What would Jesus do?”

Ray lived each day to the fullest, appreciating each one for the blessing it was, and taking time to soak up the simple joys of life, such as waltzing across the living room with Gran, frying up a batch of fish and hushpuppies, or playing his favorite board game, Aggravation. Ray relished serenading me with a folk song about a thief and an old maid with a gun. These were usually public performances, much to my feigned dismay! As he hugged and congratulated me the night I showed him my new engagement ring, I’m pretty sure he was thinking, “I guess I’ll have to find a new old maid to tease.”

Christians often fall into the bad habit of focusing so intently on the sweet by and by that they miss the sweetness of the here and now; Ray did not make that mistake. Although he delighted in the prospect of Heaven as much as anyone, he delighted equally in life on earth, and his infectious personality drew multitudes of both children and adults.

Although he was first and foremost Grandpa Ray to me, I also got to watch him live and work for Jesus. Again, my presuppositions of the famous evangelist Raymond Riggs were shattered. He delighted in opportunity to minister to drug addicts, victims of abuse, and ex-prostitutes every bit as much as he enjoyed the presence of Free Will Baptist dignitaries. He cared about them all, and listened to them intently as they shared their stories, hanging on their every word.

He welcomed the dirtiest, most poorly dressed children of our community with open arms. He lived and loved like Someone else I know, who dined with tax collectors, stood up for an adulteress, and told His disciples to back off when they attempted to restrain a group of grungy kids who were clamoring for His attention. Perhaps even more than his love for me, I appreciate and will always treasure the love Ray showed to the kids in my children’s ministry. I still hear him laughing when one of the little girls bid him farewell with, “See you later alligator!” He quickly quipped in return, “After a while, crocodile!”

Ray would be upset with me if I left you with the impression that he was perfect. He was not. Like all of us, he didn’t always practice what he preached. He doubted, struggled, feared, and felt frustration. He never pretended to be perfect, either. He shared his shortcomings and gave honest answers when asked how he was doing. He gave the rest of us struggling believers hope in knowing that even Raymond Riggs had bad times, yet God’s grace carried him through.

How do you pay tribute to such a man? Flowers, memorial contributions, scholarship programs, plaques, cards? The methods are endless, but I’d like to share with you how I intend to remember Ray. I’m going to live every day with zest and appreciate the little things. I’m even going to eat something deep-fried on occasion! I’m going to take a cue from Grandpa and delight in the company of important people—the least of these—who in God’s eyes are some of the most important people of all. I’m going to love with everything I’ve got, and I’m going to take to heart what I witnessed in Ray’s life and allow it to work its way out and into my life. Will you join me? Remember, we will never truly lose Raymond Riggs if not only listen to his words but emulate the life he lived.

Ray, if you’re reading this issue of One Magazine (and I wouldn’t be surprised if you are), please know that I love and miss you every day, but I won’t miss you forever. See you later alligator…

About the Writer: Susan Henderson is the secretary of Purdy Elementary School in Purdy, MO. She has written several books, including And a Little Child Shall Lead Them, a devotional book for anyone who loves children.