Contact: Robert Coleman, Jr., 901-235-2160

ST. LOUIS, Mo., Nov. 16, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- During the 109th Holy Convocation, in St. Louis, the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) once again chose Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. as Presiding Bishop.

The General Assembly, the Legislative Body of the Church of God in Christ, has re-elected Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. to the Office of Presiding Bishop. Bishop Blake is the leader of the church's Executive Branch. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the nearly 6.5 million-member church.

Presiding Bishop Blake says, "Serving as Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ is an incredible honor. Thank you for re-electing me as your leader. This is the greatest church in the world. I am looking forward to serving this great denomination as its leader during the next quadrennial and continuing to make a meaningful global impact."

The General Board is the Board of Directors of the denomination and governs the church between meetings of the General Assembly. The General Board consists of twelve members, including the Presiding Bishop. The 2016 General Assembly delegates elected 2 new members to the General Board, with 10 returning incumbents.

Returning Incumbents: Bishop Charles Edward Blake, Sr., Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Bishop Jerry W. Macklin, Bishop Sedgwick Daniels, Bishop Phillip A. Brooks, Bishop Brandon B. Porter, Bishop George D. McKinney, Bishop Ted G. Thomas, Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten, Bishop Nathaniel W. Wells.

Newly Elected Members: Bishop Darrell Hines and Bishop Matthew Williams.

With the recent death of Bishop James W. Hunt, Sr., Chairman of the General Assembly, Bishop Lemuel F. Thuston, Assistant Chairman of the General Assembly will complete Hunt's four-year term.

The additional national officers elected for a new four-year term include:

General Secretary, Bishop Joel H. Lyles, Jr.; Financial Secretary, Bishop Frank A. White; and Treasurer, Bishop Charles H. M. Patterson

Board of Bishops: Bishop John H. Sheard, Chair; Bishop Albert Gailbraith, Jr, First Vice Chairman, Bishop Roger L. Jones, 2nd Vice Chairman; Bishop William H. Watson, Secretary; Bishop Adrian D. Williams, Assistant Secretary; Bishop Cody Marshall, Treasurer

Trustee Board: Dwight E. Walls, Chair; Mildred Linzy, First Vice Chair; Sylvia H. Law, Second Vice Chair; Melton Timmons, Secretary; Georgia Macklin-Lowe, Michael B. Golden, David Allen, Jr., Josephus Shepherd, Darin Burns, Amos Smith, Sandra Jones, Cari V. Barnes, Joseph Chase, T. Lynn Smith, Christopher Martin

General Council of Pastors & Elders: Pastor Michael Eaddy, Chair; Destry Bell, Vice Chair; Prince Bryant II, Secretary

Chairman of the General Assembly, Bishop Lemuel F. Thuston, says: "I would like to thank all of the delegates who attended this year's General Assembly. Everyone did a great job. The quadrennial election was carried out in a spirit of excellence. The Election Committee Chairlady Myra Banks and her committee did a commendable job with the election. I am proud to say that all of the business of the church was handled properly and in an expeditious manner."

About the Church of God in Christ:
The Church of God in Christ is the fifth largest Protestant religious denomination in the United States with churches in 83 countries worldwide and an estimated membership of nearly 6.5 million members.