Charles E. Blake
| Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Church | Pentecostal |
| In office | 2007-present |
| Predecessor | Gilbert E. Patterson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 5, 1940 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Spouse | Mae Lawrence Blake, |
| Children | 3, with 8 grandchildren |
| Occupation | Presiding Bishop, Church of God in Christ, clergyman, Bible scholar, theologian, television personality |
- For the Arkansas politician similarly named, see Charles J. Blake.
Charles Edward Blake Sr. (born August 5, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas) [1] is the presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., a 6 million-member Pentecostal-Holiness denomination. On March 21, 2007, he became the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ,(COGIC) Inc., as a result of Presiding Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson's death. In a November 2007 special election, he was elected to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor as Presiding Bishop. In November 2008, Bishop Blake was re-elected to serve a four-year term as Presiding Bishop. In November 2012 Bishop Blake was re-elected again to serve a four-year term as the Presiding Bishop
Blake is the fifth Presiding Bishop (and seventh leader) of the historically African-American denomination. From 1985 until 2009, he was the Jurisdictional Prelate of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Southern California, which celebrated its 100th Holy Convocation June 2014, overseeing more than 250 churches that compose the jurisdiction. He was succeeded by Bishop Joe L. Ealy.
Biography
Bishop Blake is the pastor of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ (COGIC),[2] one of the largest churches in the Western United States, with a membership of over 24,000. In 1982, he was selected by Ebony magazine as one of the 15 "Greatest Preachers in America". Since 2007, Ebony has recognized Bishop Blake annually, as one of the 100+ most influential African Americans.
Bishop Blake is an ardent advocate of education and academic excellence, who holds multiple academic and honorary degrees, from various educational institutions. Most recently, California State University, Los Angeles conferred an honorary doctorate upon him on June 12, 2010.
In response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, Blake founded and is president of the Pan African Children's Fund (PACF). Save Africa's Children, a program of PACF, currently provides support to over 220 orphanages throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
He was the founding Chair of the Board of Directors for,[3] and has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, and as a Board Member of the Board of Directors for the Interdenominational Theological Seminary. Blake has served as Chair of the Executive Committee, member of the Board of Directors of Oral Roberts University, and as a member of the Board of Directors of International Charismatic Bible Ministries.
Blake has also formerly served as an Advisory Committee Member of the Pentecostal World Conference, and as the founder and Co-chair of the Los Angeles Ecumenical Congress (LAEC), an interdenominational coalition of religious leaders and pastors. He has also been awarded the Salvation Army's William Booth Award, the Greenlining Institute's Big Heart Award, and was the designated recipient of the L.A. Urban League's Whitney M. Young Award for the year 2000.
He is married to Mrs. Mae Lawrence Blake, and they have three children and eight grandchildren.
References
External links
- Church of God in Christ
- West Angeles Church of God in Christ
- Succession of Church of God in Christ Leaders
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