The Future of Rural Ministry in Appalachia with Lonnie Riley
Welcome to the "Together for the Mountains" podcast, where faith sparks transformation in the heart of Eastern Kentucky! In a recent episode, we had the honor of sitting down with Lonnie Riley, a man whose life exemplifies what it means to truly follow God's call and witness His power changing landscapes and lives in the mountains. For 26 years, Lonnie has lived in Lynch, Kentucky, a place he views as his "final assignment" from God.
From Engineer to Kingdom Transformer: Lonnie's Journey
Lonnie Riley's background is as diverse as it is insightful. Trained as an engineer, he learned how to "put things together in the proper way." His career journey also included serving as a college administrator, leading statewide evangelism in Ohio for eight years, and pastoring churches, one growing to 750 members and another starting with fewer than 100. He spent 18 years directly involved in local church leadership. Despite this extensive experience, Lonnie emphasizes that God was preparing him, not for a specific role, but for this mission, requiring him only to "learn to follow God."
This preparation was crucial because, when called to Lynch, Kentucky, Lonnie wasn't tasked with leading a local church but with two mandates: "help people share Jesus" and help them have a "better quality of life," addressing both economic and spiritual depression in Eastern Kentucky.
The Profound Shift: Doing vs. Following
A central theme of Lonnie's ministry, and the core of this powerful conversation, is the distinction between learning "what to do" and remembering "how to follow" God. He challenges the prevalent "strategic plan" mindset in ministry – setting goals, planning objectives, and hoping God shows up. Instead, Lonnie advocates for a "responsive plan," where one obeys God when He places something in front of you, allowing God to do the work.
Lonnie shares a humbling experience from his past as a youth minister. He strategically grew a youth rally from 400 to over 6,000 attendees by setting goals for youth workers. While seemingly successful, God confronted him, asking, "Who are you trying to impress?" and revealed that his heart was "out of tune" because he was setting limits on God's desire. This led to a pivotal moment where Lonnie committed never again to attempt something without knowing God was in it, refusing to "set a goal that's less than what [God] desire[s]." He realized his 20 years of striving to build the church were unnecessary because Jesus declared, "Upon this rock I will build my church." This revelation brought immense freedom and allowed the church he pastored to eventually minister to over 3,000 people a week, purely as a result of God's work.
Walking by Faith: Real-Life Examples of Responsive Ministry
Lonnie illustrates this responsive approach with compelling stories:
The Russian Ministry: After 15 Russian people unexpectedly appeared in his all-white church, followed by 30 and then 50, Lonnie and his congregation were in a "dilemma" as they couldn't communicate. Rather than strategically planning, God initiated by sending a Ugandan physics professor from Cincinnati, fluent in six languages and married to a Russian woman, who offered to help. This led to baptisms, a trip to Russia to build a church, and the local church growing from 300 to 3,000 members, all because Lonnie simply "was just following God." God even supernaturally provided the funds to bring the professor on staff after a church member bequeathed her home to the church, fulfilling a prior agreement with the leadership.
The Widow's $10: On the way to get pizza, Lonnie and his wife helped a widow pick up a prescription. She insisted on giving them $10 as a "missionary" offering. Immediately after, they encountered "homeless Tommy" who needed a specific kerosene heater wick, which cost exactly $9.95. Lonnie recounts the tears in his eyes as he realized God had provided "five cents more than we needed to help Tommy out." This simple act demonstrated how God "orders your next step" and brings people into your path for His kingdom.
"Mama's House": At a conference, Lonnie met a woman who shared her long-held vision for "Mama's House," a safe place for children of addiction, inspired by her grandmother's home. She had no resources, but Lonnie connected her with a retired Proctor and Gamble vice president at the same conference who had investors looking for new ministry projects. This God-orchestrated connection brought the woman to tears, seeing God finally fulfilling a dream.
Lynch Park Restoration: In Lynch, skepticism about community help was high, but Lonnie told locals, "Only difference is God's in this." When people started showing up to restore the park, build a bathhouse and picnic shelter, a local man came back in tears, proclaiming, "They did come didn't he they did come." This transformed the spiritual climate of the region, as people "saw God started doing things in the community."
Challenges and Opportunities in the Mountains
Lonnie identifies a major challenge in Appalachia: people "see church but nobody sees Jesus." Churches often focus on growing their own numbers rather than transforming the community. He advocates for churches to "go beyond the walls" and affect the community, celebrating God's work wherever it occurs, even in different denominations. This resonates deeply with "Together for the Mountains'" mission to "Go Outside" and see Eastern Kentucky "completely transformed by Jesus," as inspired by Hebrews 13:12-13. Another challenge is tradition, leading to fragmented "family churches" that often lack outward ministry.
Encouragement for Leaders and All Believers
Lonnie offers powerful encouragement:
Seek God's Ways: Pastors should take sabbaticals to get alone with God and learn His ways through scripture, allowing their lives to become "spiritually sensitive" to what He wants to show them.
Magnify God's Work: Regularly share stories of what God is doing in individual lives. This creates a desire in others to experience God at work and helps them start "looking for God" themselves.
Be Faithful in the Little: Instead of seeking "more" opportunities or expansion, "seek God" and be faithful in the "little" responsibilities He gives. God automatically provides "more" when we are faithful in what we have.
Persevere and Stay Content: Ministry will have "dry times." In these moments, continue to do the last thing God told you to do, staying "content" where God has placed you, but never "satisfied" until you learn and experience more of God.
Stay in the Word: Lonnie's sustained habit is daily engagement with the Bible, not out of obligation, but love. He notes that sometimes a single scripture can "jump off that page" and change everything, as the "kingdom is at hand" did for him. He also emphasizes that prayer isn't just giving God a list, but allowing God to share His heart.
Believe God: His ultimate advice to his 30-year-old self would be from John 6: "This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent." Just as we received Christ by believing, we walk by believing.
Lonnie's life is a testament that "we don't have to be impressive to be impactful." His humble service and radical trust in God's responsive leading have indeed changed the landscape of Lynch, Kentucky, and provided a powerful model for all who seek to see God's kingdom come alive.
Want to be inspired and challenged? Listen to the full conversation with Lonnie Riley on the "Together for the Mountains" podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and share it with someone who needs to be reminded that God still moves in the mountains. Let's keep saying yes, keep showing up, and keep believing that God is on the move, together for the mountains!
