Dr. Ben S. Richey

In July 2024, Pastor Ben Richey came to serve as the second Pastor of Heritage Baptist Church.  Pastor Ben spent many years at Heritage as a college student and young adult and previously served as ministry intern and Assistant Pastor from 2009 to the end of 2015.  From 2016 until summer of 2024, Ben served as the Pastor of Kernville Baptist Church in Kernville, CA.  As a Pastor, Ben is passionate about connecting the truth of the Word to real life and seeing people growing in the Lord.

Pastor Ben grew up in an Air Force household and spent his formative years travelling the U.S. before his dad settled down and retired in Prattville.  He is a graduate of Prattville High School and is proud to call this area home.  He has been involved in  vocational ministry since 2002.  

Pastor Ben spent several years as a Graphic Design student at AUM, then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry from Moody Bible Institute, a Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School, and a Master of Theology and Doctor of Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His dissertation dealt with creating healthy leadership practices among volunteer leaders in local churches to protect them from fatigue and burnout.

Pastor Ben and his wife, Heather, met in Chicago and married in 2002.  They have three children: Mikaela (19) is a college student, Christopher, or “Topher” as he is more commonly called (17) is in high school, and their youngest son, Calvin (11), is in elementary school. Pastor Ben and Heather love to travel to new places, engage in mission work locally and around the world, and spend time with their kids and their extended family.  Pastor Ben is a musician, artist, and writer and relaxes by being creative, engaging in conversation, reading, and spending time with friends. He also likes to hike and has recently taken up pickleball.