OC Bible alumnus Kent Risley was recognized for his 35 years of service to the church

Oklahoma Christian University Bible alumnus Kent Risley has dedicated his life to the service of the church for many years. In September, the Edmond church of Christ celebrated Risley’s 35 years of service as a minister, starting as a campus minister in 1987. He would be the first to credit his success to the support he has received from his wife, Brenda, and his children, Caleb, Sarah and Hannah. Brenda and their daughters are also OC alumni. 

Risley serves Edmond today as the executive minister. During Risley’s recognition at Edmond, Preaching Minister Randy Roper, also an OC Bible and Communication alumnus, praised Risley’s service and heart.

“Kent loves God, and Kent loves the church,” Roper said. “Kent loves the word of God, and of course, Kent loves his family. One of his legacies is the connections he helped make between this church and the Christians in the mountains of Mexico.

“Thank you so much, Kent, for your 35 years of truly selfless service to this congregation and God’s kingdom. We are all better because of what you have done, what God has done through you and your family.”

Just last year, Risley demonstrated his loving spirit in the memorial service that honored OC alumnus Jacob Preston. Risley’s moving words were documented here.

In the last few years, Risley’s daughter, Education alumna Hannah, has joined him on staff at Edmond as the children’s ministry assistant. A few years ago, OC Journalism alumna Tamie Ross wrote a feature story about Risley’s time with the Edmond church. The story is available to read below, too. 

“To speak of Kent and Brenda Risley’s 30 years of service to the Edmond Church is more like turning the pages of a family album than tracing a timeline of years. (That scrapbook is beginning to bulge at the seams with a multitude of photos of their most recent addition, blond-haired grandson, Tate.)

     Such is their combined heritage of faith that both of their earliest memories are of parents who personified church leadership and hard work—Kent’s in ministry and Brenda’s in eldership. Open homes, extra places set at dinner, answering calls of help at any hour? They saw it all. After the Bible major met the special education/elementary education double major as students at Oklahoma Christian (College) in the late 1970s, Kent finally persuaded Brenda to go out with him in the fall of 1980. Later he convinced her to transfer her local membership and join him at Edmond—or “in the hole” as Brenda laughingly recalled, when the congregation met in its previous home on Ninth Street.

     After graduating in the spring and marrying in the fall of 1981, the Risleys left Oklahoma to work full time, first in Shreveport, LA, at the Sunset Church, then as co-minister for Brenda’s home congregation in Pauls Valley before coming to the Edmond Church in 1987. What then was known as the college ministry, a temporary assignment at first before he began in adult education, became a position and a passion for Kent. And as their family grew, Brenda creatively found ways to support the children’s education program and integrate their three children into both of their areas to maximize time spent together. Those are some of their happiest memories, both agree, like the yearly Spring Break mission trips that began in 1989 and were  spent leading more than 200 Christians—plus Caleb, Sarah and Hannah—to Aquiles, Mexico.

     As parents of adult children (coincidentally, Caleb turned 30 this year too) and grandparents, they say they continue to teach and learn, work and try to make an eternal difference in the lives of all they possibly can reach. Kent now is executive minister after holding a variety of titles, ones which Brenda says ultimately meant he could answer most questions or find any item a member might request.

Recently, they reflected together on the past 30 years with this congregation and what time and God have taught them along the way.

Q: What do you remember about the Edmond Church of Christ in 1987?

KR: I’ve always described the Edmond Church as people who grew up in the country and all of the sudden found themselves in the city, so it was a big church with a small-church feel. When we came, Richard Jones was the preacher and the leadership style was very different. Back in those days, you had your area and that’s what you worked in. Multiple staff were just coming into being, so teamwork among the staff was definitely not anything like it is today, that’s not how we were built in that day and age. We didn’t really have a model to work from with what we wanted to do, so we just developed goals and felt our way along.

BR: We felt so supported during that process, I remember very well. Loved, supported, helped, prayed for.

Q: Tell us about the ministry in Mexico and the role it played in the college ministry and in your lives over the years?

KR: We used to tell our college students, “You might not be a missionary someday, but I hope missions is a part of your life. Someday you’ll most likely be part of a missions committee wherever you are, and you’ll be supporting them well because you’ve built a passion for it.” Look at our Missions Committee here today and you’ll see people who were part of that time, those trips. It was so great to get our congregation involved, praying, and seeing how all of it evolved over the years. I think it’s been a wonderful exercise for this church family.

BR: Kent logistically was perfect for this role, I think. Aquiles started out with about 20, and then the next year it was 40, and then 60 and 100...and one year I think we had 220 people going in 25 rented vans. And the numbers and events of going down there to serve people was one part, but it was incredible to see every year how those who went on the trips benefitted so much from seeing God at work in ways they probably never expected. It was such a faith-building experience, and that was always a goal, to get those students involved in helping people through service.

KR: And our students loved that service aspect, and getting to know people of other generations, and vice-versa. They loved working alongside John Trotter and Big Don, the Driskills, Mark Coleman, the Willises, so many others. It was relationship-building that happened there and came back here.

BR: Even the years when it rained so badly that we were hanging out sleeping bags to dry and couldn’t keep people warm!

Q: How hard has it been in this hiatus when the church hasn’t been able to safely make the trip to Aquiles?

KR: I think there would be great value in us being able to go back, for them to know they weren’t forgotten. But because of the leadership that is there and our connections, the church is as strong as it was.

BR: As hard as it is for us not to go, I think it has helped the church there grow in ways. And the camp, LaSierra…they’ve been able to take that example and grow it and take it even further.

Q: Is it true, would both of you say, that Kent is a bit of a workaholic?

BR: (Laughing) If you want to know where a ladder is, if you need help with the sound booth, ask Kent Risley. He probably doesn’t necessarily see himself that way, but he wants to do everything he can to help other people. He unclogged a toilet the other day somewhere here in the church building. In any way he can, whether it’s organization or execution, if there’s something to be done, he’ll do it. Anything to help people get involved or support others, he’ll do it. I’m so proud of him. He’s very faithful to God, his family, this church. Workaholic has a negative connotation, I like the word ‘faithful’ more.

KR: It’s a real blessing to be around here. We’re of a size now when no one knows where everything is. I don’t try to do that anymore! I have been here a while, and I do love to help. One of the biggest compliments Don Vinzant ever gave me was to tell me I was the glue. That could have meant I was an old horse, but I took it as a compliment. I used to work too hard and there was a price. There was a time right after Sarah was born when I was at camp for several weeks then helping with a student’s tragic accident. Only a few weeks old, Sarah wouldn’t let me hold her because she thought I was a stranger. That forced me to look hard at things. I had to learn to balance my life.

Q: What keeps you here?

BR: This is our home, it’s the only church our kids have ever known. You do something for this long and you get good at it! (Laughing).

KR: There are parts of ministry even after this long that are challenging, but there also are the parts I think I’ve got down pretty well so I can devote more time to the challenges. The teamwork we have here is outstanding. We truly complement each other. It was very hard when Don Vinzant left us, because he left a big hole even though we were working on a transition plan before that happened. But it truly is my hope that I can continue to be aware and be sensitive to how best I can serve this church family, and I hope it’s forever. I really do.

Reflections from others:

Sarah Risley Marshall: “Some of my earliest and fondest memories were during my dad’s time as campus minister. My parents did a wonderful job of involving us in their ministry, which had an immense impact on Caleb, Hannah and me. Their ministry has always been very intentional and real and their involvement has never been about obligation, but their love for God. That kind of service is such an affirmation of their faith. Getting to serve alongside family is such a special experience, especially our annual trips to Aquiles, even riding on a van for hours!”

OC Communication and Bible alumnus Randy Roper: “I have been blessed to work with Kent on staff at Edmond for the past 23 years. God has gifted Kent and Brenda in many ways and instilled within them a deep love for and loyalty to the Church, and especially the Edmond Church. I am thankful for the humility, strong sense of cooperation, and deep devotion to God that Kent models for us all, and I value our friendship. Kent and Brenda are to be commended for their many contributions to the Kingdom and to this congregation over the past three decades.”

OC Registrar Karen Driskill: “Kent and Brenda have given so much of themselves to this church over the years, in ways people know about and ways they never will. The work that went into the annual Spring Break trips to Mexico—there’s no way to even describe it. Even when it became a system, the execution of it was tremendous. I’m really thankful for them.”

Kent and Brenda have made significant impressions on those around them, they make everyone feel loved. Everyone can see the work that God is doing in their lives.