BJ Richardson was born in Utica NY in 1978 as the second of eight kids. His childhood was split between Syracuse and Rochester. In 2000 he graduated with a BA in Bible from CBC and later with an MDiv in Global Studies from Liberty University. For more than a dozen years BJ had an eclectic mix of ministries and jobs including work with orphans, the mentally challenged, and as an intercultural adviser on a university campus. In late 2012 he found his true calling with the creation of The River Walk, a devotional blog that has accumulated over twenty-five thousand followers and half a million views. After being a part-time teacher and full-time missionary in Turkiye for eight years, he now teaches Bible and Philosophy at Faith Academy in the Philippines.