Rev. Brian K. Riley Becomes Pastor of Redeemer’s A.M.E. Zion Church in Plainville

Rev. Brian K. Riley, a native of New Britain, has been named Pastor Redeemer’s A.M.E. Zion Church in Plainville, returning to the New Britain area after serving as Pastor of Clinton AME Zion Church in Ansonia for five years.

Rev. Riley and his wife, Jill, were formally welcomed to the 122 year old historic African American church this past Sunday.

Rev. Dr. Moses Harvill, Presiding Elder of the Hartford District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church announced Rev. Riley’s appointment, saying,

We are excited to welcome Rev. Riley to Plainville. His track record of nurturing relationships with people from all walks of life and building community partnerships make him the perfect fit for Redeemer’s at this time in the church’s history.

“We consider ourselves blessed to serve at Redeemer’s and be a part of the Plainville community,” Riley said, noting that he and his wife plan to reside at the parsonage next door to the church.

Rev. Riley said that,

We believe living in the community where we minister allows us to have greater involvement and impact. We worked hard in Ansonia to get the church active and involved in the broader community. If a church is not connected with its community, as far as I’m concerned, that’s spiritual malpractice.

The statement announcing his appointment praised Rev. Riley as, “an activist pastor, connecting the church and the broader community through partnerships, and interfaith and multicultural collaboration.”

Rev. Riley, whose career in ministry spans more than 15 years, will retain his post as a program analyst at the Mental Tele-Health Center of the Veterans Administration (V.A.). He said he views his work at the V.A. as part of his overall ministry to help individuals and their families navigate pressing life issues such as health and the healthcare system while understanding their worth and purpose as human beings.

“Everybody is somebody, who has a purpose in God’s house and kingdom,” Riley said.

A certified Christian counselor and ordained elder in the A.M.E. Zion Church, Riley studied business administration at Central Connecticut University and attended Springfield College in Massachusetts. He and his wife are parents and proud grandparents.

Rev. Riley has deep roots in the New Britain community. He has been a resident of the city, an Associate Minister and member of Spottswood A.M.E. Zion Church in New Britain and an active leader in the Black Ministerial Alliance of New Britain. He has considerable respect in the city for his kindness, generosity and faith. He is also President of the New Britain Independent Newspaper, Inc., the not-for-profit organization that publishes the New Britain Progressive newspaper.

Rev. Dr. Harvill said that the Redeemer’s A.M.E. Zion Church, a Connecticut Freedom Trail site with a rich legacy in the region as a family-oriented church and hub of community and social activism, has just had major a major capital improvement project, under the leadership of Rev. Riley’s processor, Rev. Dr. Shelley D. Best, including redesign of the sanctuary as well as structural, electrical, and technological upgrades.