. D . ▁degree . ▁He ▁served ▁several ▁Bapt ist ▁churches ▁in ▁Kentucky , ▁Indiana , ▁and ▁Illinois ▁before ▁taking ▁the ▁past or ate ▁at ▁the ▁First ▁Bapt ist ▁Church ▁in ▁Min ne apolis , ▁Minnesota ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 7 , ▁R iley ▁public ly ▁prof essed ▁faith ▁in ▁Christ . ▁He ▁had ▁planned ▁to ▁study ▁law , ▁but ▁shortly ▁after ▁his ▁conversion ▁he ▁felt ▁called ▁to ▁the ▁min istry . ▁He ▁became ▁past or ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Bapt ist ▁Church , ▁Min ne apolis , ▁Minnesota ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁He ▁res igned ▁after ▁forty - five ▁years ▁but ▁served ▁as ▁past or ▁emer it us ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁five ▁years ▁later . ▁R iley ▁wrote ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁texts ▁on ▁Christian ▁Evangel ism ▁and ▁founded ▁the ▁North western ▁Bible ▁Training ▁School ▁along ▁with ▁an ▁Evangel ical ▁Sem inary . ▁ ▁The olog ically , ▁R iley ▁was ▁a ▁Bapt ist ▁traditional ist ▁who ▁subscri bed ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁Conf ession ▁of ▁Fa ith ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 3 , ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁Bapt ist ▁cre ed ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁His ▁first ▁major ▁work ▁was ▁an ▁ex position ▁of ▁the ▁Conf ession ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁fundamental ist ▁fa ction ▁of ▁the ▁Northern ▁Bapt ist ▁Convention ▁gain ▁control ▁and ▁reject