JONESBORO, Ark. – Rt. Rev. Terry Riley is quite the force. He is a poet, songwriter, and author. He is the founding High Priest of the Southern Delta Church of Wicca (SDCW), affiliated with the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC), where he serves as the Presiding Elder for the ATC’s Mid-South region of the U.S. He sits on the Council of Elders and is the president of the Board of Directors.
Riley has been a prominent advocate for Wiccan rights and community integration. In 1993, he organized a Wiccan Freedom of Religion march in Jonesboro, Arkansas, amidst significant opposition and threats, to promote religious tolerance and understanding. In 2023, his commitment to service was recognized with a $300,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand community gardens aimed at feeding those in need, with a goal of providing produce for 4,000 people.
Terry Riley, high priest of the Southern Delta Church of Wicca-ATC. [Courtesy
The Southern Delta Church of Wicca is part of the international Aquarian Tabernacle Church. Rev. Riley has been a leader in social outreach in Arkansas for decades. The church also operates Demeter’s Garden, a local community garden that provides fresh, locally grown food for their food bank, feeding over 800 families a month with more than 12 tons of harvested and donated food.
Now, he has embarked on a new initiative. The Southern Delta Church of Wicca – ATC in Lake City, Arkansas, recently launched a prison outreach ministry at a local state prison. The initiative was well received, and the Chaplain has requested that the church consider establishing additional ministries in several other prisons across Arkansas.
“Well, over the past year, our church has been receiving letters from incarcerated individuals from prisons all over the U.S. We had over 20 within the State of Arkansas,” Riley told The Wild Hunt. “They were all asking for help and guidance about the Wiccan religion, but they had no resources.”
Riley explains how the inspiration for this ministry came through his work with Hades. “Last year at the Aquarian Tabernacle Church’s Spring Mysteries Festival, I held the vessel of Hades. It was a very moving experience for me.”
During the communion, while in the Underworld, he felt the loneliness and isolation of being overlooked. “That feeling stuck with me. I wanted to reach out to those in this realm who felt lost and forgotten.” It exposed the need for outreach to isolated communities.
“I have always believed that being Wiccan clergy means being in service to the Gods, and as such, I have always let them lead me by their Will in my ministries.” So, when the Prison Chaplain at Tucker Correctional Unit sent a formal letter requesting that the Southern Delta Church of Wicca – ATC minister to Wiccan inmates, Riley said, “I read that as the Will of the Gods.”
“On my first visit to the prison, I met and talked to several Wiccan men. They all said the same thing,” Riley recalled. “They had been waiting and requesting Wiccan clergy to talk to. They wanted classes and spiritual counseling.”
Southern Delta Church of Wicca [via Facebook
Riley added that the facility’s chaplain explained he wasn’t well-versed enough in the Wiccan religion to minister to them. “I believe that is the number one need in prisons today. In Arkansas, you must have ministerial credentials registered with the state—a license—to be able to perform legal weddings and operate ministries in prisons.”
Indeed, research on the spiritual needs of incarcerated individuals in the U.S. highlights the importance of religious engagement in prison settings. Studies have shown that spirituality provides emotional support, moral guidance, and a sense of community to incarcerated individuals. It plays a role in rehabilitation, reducing recidivism, and helping prisoners cope with the psychological and emotional challenges of incarceration.
Despite these benefits, access to spiritual resources is often limited due to institutional restrictions, a shortage of chaplains, and an emphasis on secular or Christian-centric rehabilitation programs. Systemic barriers, such as institutional policies and a lack of funding for spiritual programs, limit access to religious services in many correctional facilities. Expanding faith-based initiatives and recognizing spirituality as a crucial component of rehabilitation could contribute to a more holistic approach to prison reform.
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Riley also reflects on his role and the support he receives from ATC to fulfill his work. “I have been with the ATC for thirty-one years, since 1994. I am the High Summoner on the High Council and the Regional Elder for the Mid-South portion of the U.S. The Aquarian Tabernacle Church is a worldwide organization,” Riley said. “With the leadership of Archpriestess Belladonna Laveau and Archpriest Dusty Dionne, the ATC has been a valuable source of teaching, counseling, and support that has been invaluable in my work.”
Riley also wants to share his experience and knowledge with the wider community. He will be at ATC’s Spring Mysteries Festival as the current Vessel of Hades, where he will share his plans for ministering to those Hades has revealed as the forgotten souls. Riley said, “The hands of the God and Goddess reach beyond the bars and guards to extend compassion, grace, and hope.”
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