Born in Tennessee, the year of birth for Rev. Henry M. Rivers is murky. His death certificate in Arizona listed March 4, 1887 as his birth date. However, in the 1910 federal census in Nebraska his age was listed as 47, making his birth year as 1863. Rev. Rivers was also listed in Mahaska County, Iowa at age 47 or 49. In the 1930 federal census while living in Arizona he is listed as 70 years old.

According to the Iowa State Bystander he attended Quindaro College near Kansas City, Kansas in the early 1900s. In late 1905, Rev. Rivers was the minister for St. Paul AME Church in Beatrice, Nebraska. According to the Gage County Democrat he was assigned to Nebraska City beginning in October 1906. He was there until assisting in Beatrice again in 1909 then moving to Oskaloosa, Iowa to possibly take courses at William Penn College.

He would have a time in Des Moines in late 1910 serving on the east side, east of the Capitol to the 36th St. area. Rev. Rivers then served in Clarinda from late 1911 to late 1912. By October 1912, the Iowa State Bystander reported he returned to Des Moines. He served at the East Side Mission Church into late 1913. Rev. Rivers finished his time in central Iowa serving Oralabor and Carney. The Iowa State Bystander of October 9, 1914 reported he had been assigned to the Tennessee Conference.

Rev. Rivers finished his career in Arizona in the Tucson and Phoenix area where he arrived in late 1919. He was noted as a new minister in the mining town of Globe and its neighboring community of Miami in the Phoenix Tribune on October 25. Rev. Rivers was in Pima County for the 1930 federal census but had moved to Phoenix by 1932 where he died on June 1, 1934. His death certificate stated he was buried in Maricopa Cemetery near Phoenix.