Raley, Linda (Retired)
Brother Tommy Raley went home to be with the Lord June 26, 2021 at his home in Arlington, Texas. Services were held at Pleaantview Baptist Church, Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, June 29th and interment was in Emerald Hills Memorial Park, Kennedale, Texas.
Linda officially retired in September 2021.
Tommy and Linda Raley were both saved as teenagers through the ministry of the Trentman Avenue Baptist Church in Ft. Worth, Texas. They were teenage sweethearts who grew up in the church together. Tommy is a 1962 graduate of the Bible Baptist Seminary in Arlington, Texas. He and Linda worked with the youth at Trentman Ave. for several years, the last two as a full time staff member.
In 1969 they felt the call of God to the mission field and were approved by the World Baptist Fellowship in 1970. After completing deputation and language school Tommy, Linda and their four sons arrived on the field in Colombia in August of 1972.
Due to the illness of two of their sons they were forced to return to the States at the end of 1976 and in February of 1977 Tommy was called as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Pleasanton, Kansas. After a successful five year ministry in Kansas, the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas called him as pastor.
In 1984 they returned to the mission field of Mexico where they worked until the World Baptist Fellowship Mission Committee asked Tommy to accept the position as Mission Director. Tommy and Linda served in this ministry since 1990. In October 2015 Tommy was named Director Emeritus/Mission Representative where he represents the mission agency in conferences and other special mission emphasis services in churches. Linda served as Financial Secretary of the Mission until she retired in September 2018.
Linda's sending church is the Pleasantview Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas.