District Elder R.A. Staley is a native of Far Rockaway, New York and holds a degree in Organizational Management from Nyack College. He is married to Lady Lauren L. Staley, and the father of two blessed children, Nia Simone and Aaron Rasahn. He was ordained an Elder by the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ (COOLJC) in 2007. After serving as the Assistant Pastor of his home church, the Refuge Church of Christ, located in Far Rockaway, NY for over nine years, his Father in the Gospel Apostle Leroy Joseph Sr.  appointed him Senior Pastor in June 2022. In 2025, Pastor Staley was elevated to the office of District Elder.

Staley developed a love for community through service in his church where he has served in many different capacities over the years, ranging from sound technician, musician, and youth leader. He was an active participant in recovery efforts after Superstorm Sandy, which ultimately led him to return “home” and begin working in the New York City public school system. In 2014, Staley began working with the Far Rockaway Educational Campus as a Community School Director to find ways to connect the school and community, providing resources and services to students, families, and the surrounding neighborhoods. He has also worked with the Far Rockaway Arverne Nonprofit Coalition, and a Councilmanic Dropout Prevention Taskforce (District 27). He currently serves as a high school business teacher in the NYC public school system. 

Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” District Elder Staley is a community organizer, national evangelist, and highly respected youth and young adult leader, and has served as director to the organization’s Young Ministers Alliance. In 2021, Staley released his first book, Look & Live: A Living Tribute to My Father in the Gospel Bishop Leroy Joseph Sr. In 2024, he expanded his ministry through music, releasing his debut album, Overcomers’ Night Live.

In every effort he makes for the Kingdom, it is Pastor Staley’s assignment to galvanize the remnant of believers still committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, introduce a new generation to Him, and bridge the gap between the two.