Saying goodbye to Raymond Riggs, Free Will Baptist missions pioneer.

"Goodbye, mr. foreign missions"

By Charles Thigpen

One of God’s choice servants has been called home. On Monday, April 13, 2009, Raymond Riggs, of Monett, Missouri, peacefully left this life and went to be with the Lord with his wife Bernice Davis Riggs, and all six of his children standing around his bed. It is so wonderful that God has said in His Word, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15).

Brother Riggs was both a good man and a great man. He was 93 years old, born October 15, 1915, in Pocahontas, Arkansas. As a young public school teacher, he was invited to the Detroit area by N.P. Gates to sing in a gospel quartet. While in Michigan, he fell in love with Brother Gates’ daughter, Winona, married her, and soon after he answered the call to preach the gospel.

Urged to start a church in the city, he rented a storefront building in 1938, and founded Highland Park Free Will Baptist Church (now Central FWB Church). He and his wife—an extremely gifted musician—held many street meetings and led hundreds of people to the Lord. After a short time, they bought a vacant building, and the church grew rapidly. The congregation enlarged the building twice. In just over 16 years, the membership grew to 400.

When Riggs attended the 1947 meeting of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, he heard Tom and Mabel Willey speak. God used the Willeys to inspire, challenge, and burden him about the cause of foreign missions. Before long, he was elected to serve on the Foreign Missions Board. Soon he became the part-time promotional director-treasurer of the board.

Although he was pastoring a strong, growing church, Raymond felt led of the Lord to give up the church and become the first full-time promotional director-treasurer of the Foreign Missions Board. During his six years as director, the number of foreign missionaries grew from seven to 30. Raymond Riggs truly put FWB Foreign Missions on the map before resigning in 1959. He went on to serve on the board for many years, where he earned the affectionate title, “Mr. Foreign Missions.”

Riggs was a gifted evangelist. I have never heard any man give an evangelistic invitation as moving and compelling as Raymond Riggs. Nor do I know of any Free Will Baptist who won as many people to Christ through personal evangelism, pastoral ministry, and evangelistic meetings.

Not only have many come to Christ as a result of his influence, many have answered the call to full-time missionary or ministry service. When Central FWB Church celebrated its 50th anniversary, they named 50 full-time Christian workers from the church. Raymond Riggs influenced many of these workers.

After his service to Foreign Missions, Riggs pastored several churches including Bethany FWB Church in Norfolk, Virginia, where he founded the first Free Will Baptist Christian day school. Eventually, he returned to Michigan to finish out 25 years of pastoral service at Central FWB Church. In addition to starting Bethany Christian Academy, he organized Great Lakes Bible Institute in Michigan and Upper Cumberland Bible Institute in Cookeville, Tennessee. He also pastored several Tennessee churches: Cookeville, Goodsprings, Sparta, and United.

In 1982, Riggs became promotional director for the Tennessee State Association, a position he held for 10 years. In addition to promoting the state work, he held many revivals under the name Stateside Evangelism. His wife Winona remained by his side throughout his ministry. She was an outstanding and accomplished musician who played the piano and organ. Together, they blessed the hearts of people with music and message.

After Winona’s death, Raymond married Bernice Davis Riggs (called Bea). She was a great help and encouragement to Raymond in the closing years of his life.

The Riggs’ children include: Charles (Joyce) of Hewitt, Texas. Charles is a deacon in his local church and has been active in his church’s music ministry. He spent many years in the Air Force. Dr. Ken (Carolyn) Riggs serves as headmaster of Pleasant View Christian School. Previously he served as chairman of the Teacher Education Department at Free Will Baptist Bible College for more than 20 years. Randy (and Beverly) Riggs of Joelton, Tennessee, pastor the Goodsprings FWB Church.

Randy (Beverly) has been an active leader in the Northern Quarterly of the Cumberland Association and presently serves as moderator of the Tennessee State Association. Steve (Becky) Riggs is a successful missionary to the country of France. Ramona (Earl) Sessoms lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, where she has worked for Pat Roberson for many years. Patsy (Bill) Daniels lives in Calhoun, Georgia where Bill serves as a hospice chaplain.

Riggs had two stepsons—Rick (Linda) Davis of Monett, Missouri, and Jim (Dee) Davis of Rapid City, Iowa—and one stepdaughter, Sue (Gaylon) Henderson, of Monett, Missouri. He had 31 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren.

Few men have made such an outstanding contribution to the work of the Lord. He was an excellent preacher, pastor, evangelist, and promotional director, as well as husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather.

He stood alongside and worked with men like Dr. L.C. Johnson, John L. Welch, Homer Willis, Robert Crawford, Damon Dodd, and others, to lay the foundation of the present day Free Will Baptist denomination. His passing marks the end of an era for Free Will Baptists. Truly he was an outstanding pioneer, a member of “The Greatest Generation” of Free Will Baptists.

I am so pleased to say that Brother Raymond Riggs was my friend and my hero. I will always be in debt to this great man of God.

About the Writer: Former president of Free Will Baptist Bible College, Dr. Charles Thigpen worked closely with Raymond Riggs for many years. He and his wife live near Atlanta, Georgia.