FJ Ministries is the vision God laid on the hearts of Bryan and Tara Riley.

Their Mission of F.A.I.T.H. is “Families reaching families as Avenues to the Nations, Igniting passion for God and compassion for people, Teaching and training with Hearts and hands revealed.” Colossians 2:6.

They hope God will enable them to reach families and show that they too can participate in the Great Commission.  May their passion be for God and for serving others and in so doing encourage others to do the same. They have joined together with an organization known as YWAM to help them accomplish these goals.

Our Story

FJ Ministries was born out of a vision God laid on the hearts of Bryan and Tara Riley. They longed to live by faith in all aspects of their lives and yearned for God to use them through family ministry. They hoped to reach and disciple families in fulfilling the callings God planted in their lives.

On July 26, 2006, in the small sea town of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Bryan and Tara we’re praying earnestly over what their ministry would look like. The letters F and J were given individually to them in prayer through a flood of memories.

For Tara, FJ meant “for Jim.” Jim was a good friend of Tara’s during her teenage years. He had a passion for God and for missions. Jim went to Haiti as a young teen, developed a heart for the nation, and wanted to see that ministry furthered. Tragically, for reasons only God truly knows, Jim decided to end his life. In the wake of the grief over that loss, Tara told God that she wanted carry out whatever God had planned for Jim. As she was praying over her own ministry, God reminded her of that promise.

For Bryan, FJ stood for “finding Jubilee.” Jubilee was their first “child.” She was a beloved poodle bought by Bryan and Tara while they were still broke college students. Only ten days after they received her, Jubilee suffered a fatal head injury and died at the tender age of thirteen weeks. In the Bible, Jubilee is the year God told the Jewish community to rest for a second year of Sabbath, letting the land lay fallow, freeing all slaves, and forgiving all debt. It was to occur every 50th year (following the seventh of seven Sabbath years). Unfortunately, the Israelites continuously failed to obey God.

Just like God demonstrated his immense love through the death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ, Bryan and Tara witnessed God resurrect tragedies from their past through the unconditional and unwavering love of Jesus. As a result, they long to live a life glorifies God, blesses others, and teaches others about resting in God’s presence.

After God guided the Riley’s in starting their ministry, they realized that FJ could stand for many things: faith/families/fellowship/forgiveness/friendship in Jesus, finding joy, following Jesus, freedom journey, and so on. The Lord is continuing to multiply his work in the hearts of this obedient family and they pray that he will do the same for you and your family.

Board of Directors

Bryan and Tara Riley
Bryan served as a corporate attorney for 9 years and as an attorney for 10 years before following God’s call into the ministry. Tara has worked with disabled children, their teachers, and their parents for 10 years in the school systems as a pediatric occupational therapist, enabling the children to access more completely their education.

Dr. John and Mary Stam
Dr. Stam is the Missions Pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Oklahoma and Mary serves as a nurse in Enid. They both have been involved extensively in missions and ministry for many years. They have four grown children.

Kaleb and Andrea Metcalf
Kaleb and Andrea serve in many areas in Enid, Oklahoma and at Emmanuel Baptist Church. They own a major landscaping business and work in the community as well as serve as teachers at EBC. They have one son, Emery.

Robert and Carrie Husong
Rob and Carrie have served the Northwest Arkansas Community for years as a banker and computer programmer and mom and dad to four sons.