Meet Riley Black

Upper Cumberland FCA

TTU Area Rep

Riley Black has been serving with FCA for one year, but his journey with the ministry started years ago as a college athlete. After experiencing firsthand how FCA builds community and transforms lives, Riley felt called to join the FCA team to help impact collegiate athletes for the Kingdom. “Being part of lives changing for Christ has given me so much joy,” he says.

Riley’s favorite part of serving is walking alongside student–athletes, building relationships, doing life with them, and watching hearts slowly open to the love of Jesus. His life verse is Galatians 2:20, which reminds him daily that his purpose is to let Christ live through him.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Tennessee, Riley comes from a strong, Christ-centered family and is the middle of three siblings. A lifelong baseball player, he competed at Lee University before finishing his college career at Tennessee Tech. He earned his undergraduate degree in Human Development with a business emphasis and a coaching minor, then completed a master’s degree in Strategic Leadership at Tennessee Tech. Riley led FCA as a student–athlete at both Lee and Tech before officially joining the UC-FCA staff in 2024.

Outside of ministry, Riley enjoys staying active, working out, spending time with friends, and playing guitar and drums, especially when he gets the chance to worship and jam. He currently serves at Tennessee Tech and loves investing in the campus community.

If you’d like to pray for him, he asks that you pray for athletes whose hearts have been hardened toward God, and that they would experience His love and be drawn into relationship with Him.