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A well-known author, Richard has written thirty-two books and hundreds of articles. Among his best known books are A Man of Valor, Strength For the Storm, The Making of a Man, Perils of Power, The Rhythm of Life, When You Lose Someone You Love, Intimate Moments for Couples, Witness the Passion and Encounters With Christ.

His first novel, The Alabaster Cross, was released in 2006. Richard recently completed a textbook on Pastoral Ministry for Global University. Richard’s articles have appeared in numerous magazines including “Leadership Journal,” “Charisma,” “Ministries Today,” “The Pentecostal Evangel,” “Advance,” “Enrichment” and “New Man.”

Richard is much in demand as a guest on both radio and television and has appeared on the 700 Club with Pat Robertson, Richard Roberts Live, Action Sixty, the former PTL and a host of other local television and radio programs.


Richard and Brenda were childhood sweethearts having met at church when they were eleven and twelve years old. Richard likes to say that the minute he laid eyes on Brenda she fell in love with him. When they married on June 10, 1966, Brenda was only eighteen and Richard just a year older. Nine days later they entered full-time ministry.


For the next seventeen months they traveled the western half of the United States preaching revival meetings in country churches from Cuero, Texas to Post Falls, Idaho and a half a hundred places in between.


In November of the following year they accepted the call to serve as the pastors of the Assembly of God Church in Holly, Colorado. While serving there Richard began his writing ministry with a monthly message in the local paper.


On May 27, 1970 God blessed them with a beautiful baby daughter whom they named Leah Starr. Shortly after Leah’s birth the family moved to Florence, Colorado where Richard assumed his duties as pastor of the First Assembly of God. Following a brief stay in Florence, Richard served as assistant pastor for two different congregations in Houston, Texas.


The Exleys returned to Colorado in 1975 to serve the Church of the Comforter. Under their leadership the church relocated and built a new facility. While in Craig, Richard wrote his first two books: The Painted Parable and The Other God.


In October 1980 they accepted the call to serve as pastors of Christian Chapel in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During their twelve-year tenure Christian Chapel purchased property and build their first facilities. In 1983 Richard launched a live via satellite nationwide call in radio program called Straight From the Heart. Shortly thereafter he added a daily two-minute radio feature. In 1987 his third book The Rhythm of Life was published and shortly thereafter Perils of Power and Blue Collar Christianity were released.


After having served as a pastor for over 25 years, Richard and Brenda now live in a cabin on Beaver Lake near Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Richard writes all of his books sitting at a small computer desk in front of a window that overlooks the lake ‘s emerald green water. Brenda loves cooking and baking the old-fashioned way, which is sinfully delicious and very fattening. She also loves swimming in Beaver Lake’s crystal clear water and exploring the lake with Richard. Most of all Richard and Brenda love being grandparents. Douglas and Leah Starr Baker presented them with their first grandchild, a baby girl named Alexandria Starr, on June 19, 2000. Eighteen months later they became grandparents for the second time when Douglas Lloyd Baker II (Deuce) was born on December 12, 2001.