HOLY TEMPLE

Bishop Richard J. Coley

Little Rock Church of Christ – Washington, D.C.

Bishop Richard J. Coley was born in Wilson, NC and moved to the Washington Metropolitan Area in the mids-1970s. Bishop Coley has been serving as Pastor and Chairman of the Trustee Board of Little Rock Church of Christ, Inc., in Washington, DC. since 2009. Bishop Coley joined Little Rock Church of Christ, Inc in June 1995 under pastoral-guidance of the Late Bishop Arthur L. Pressley. Then surrendering his life to Christ, he was baptized in Jesus’s name and later received the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Bishop Coley has been serving in ministry for nearly 25 years answering the call to ministry in 1998. He received his minister’s license in 2001 and was ordained an Elder in 2003 under the Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ World Wide Inc. In 2007, Bishop Coley was selected as a Regional Ordination Examiner for International Bible Way Church of Jesus Christ, Inc.

In 2017, Pastor Coley was elevated to the office of District Elder and in 2018 he was appointed to serve as Chairman of Board of National Examiners of International Bible Way Church of Jesus Christ, Inc. In July 2023, District Elder Coley was consecrated into the Bishopric under International Bible Way Church of Jesus Christ, Inc. Bishop Coley currently serves as IBW National Chairman of Ordination, IBW Board of Directors, IBW Christian Education Auxiliary Bishop, and is on the Global Missions Training Committee.

Bishop Coley is a graduate of Washington Bible College/Capital Seminary, Lanham, Md. and Jameson Theological College Seminary, Philadelphia, Pa. He has as achieved an Associate Degree in Biblical Studies, Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, and a Masters’ Degree in Religious Education. Bishop Coley is a certified biblical teacher through Evangel Training Association and holds various course certificates of completions through ETA Bible Institute.  

Bishop Coley had served in the US Army as a Military Police and retired as a Police Captain after serving for 28 years at the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation Police Department. Since 2014. Bishop Coley has been employed as a Chaplain for Heartland Hospice in Fairfax, Va. Bishop Coley is married to the lovely First Lady Monica H. Coley and is the proud father of two children and four grandchildren.  He is dedicated to the Service of the Lord and has a passion for souls and imparting into the people of God. To God Be The Glory!