Supt. Walter H. Blalark was born in 1953 in Jackson, Tennessee. He gave his life to the Lord at the age of 16 when he was a member of Spates Temple Church of God in Christ in Elgin, Illinois. He was called to the ministry at the age of 20 years old in 1974 at Spates Temple. He was ordained in 1977 by the late Bishop Louis Henry Ford, Prelate and Founder of the 1st Jurisdiction of Illinois.
This anointed Pastor is now heading two (2) congregations under Front Line Ministry: one at Cole Temple C.O.G.I.C. in Ford Heights, Illinois since 1982 and at Living Gospel C.O.G.I.C. in Elgin, Illinois which he and his wife founded and organized in 1988. Under the leadership of Pastor Blalark, Cole Temple has brought many of the surrounding land around the facility and countless of people have been saved, delivered and set free. At Living Gospel he erected a 7,200 Square Feet church facility from a Warehouse. We have had a successful Outreach Program to many of the neighbors in the Elgin area and thousands of souls have been saved. Both Churches have many ministries to deal with the ills of this present world from children, youth, marriage, men and women ministries. Pastor Blalark has been faithfully carrying both ministries, traveling from Elgin to Ford Heights every Sunday 72 miles one way at 9 o’clock AM and back to Living Gospel in Elgin and there at 11 o’clock Am Service. Tuesday Night Bible Study at Cole Temple and Wednesday Night Bible Study at Living Gospel. He also heads the Living Daylight Corporation where he is the Founder and CEO, which is a Community Development Corporation. That gives out Scholarships to College Students, Educational Lab, Mentoring program and other community development programs.
Supt. Blalark has received many educational, civic and religious awards in recognition of his accomplishments. He married Rebara (Spates) Blalark on June 1, 1974. Their union was blessed with seven musically talented children: Kemmerin, Keira, Karissa, Kapree, Korron, Keenan and Kammarra, and two special Son-in-Laws Robert & Samuel, a Lovely Daughter-in-Law Ava and 15 beautiful grandchildren and one great- grandchild.
In his professional career, Supt. Blalark worked for the City of Elgin as Executive Director of the Elgin Human Relations Commission from 1976 to 1988. He was then promoted to Deputy Director of Human Resources in 1988. Also, he has acted as a conciliator in disputes involving the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords in Elgin and created the first Tenant and Landlord Handbook, Fair Housing Ordinance, Sexual Harassment Policies and Affirmative Action Plan. He revised the Human Relations Ordinance for the City of Elgin. He is the Founder of the Elgin Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Committee and Annual Dr. King program for Elgin. He has assisted many Elgin residents in all phases of human relations, including employment, housing, education, public facilities and mediated disputes among citizens of diverse groups. He was one of Founders of these Social Service Agencies: the Elgin Community Crisis Center, RENZ Center, The Open Door Clinic and Mother Goose Daycare Center of Elgin and these agencies still exist today. He also served as Chairman of the Kane County Planning for Low Income Urban Services (PLUS) which consists of the Headstart Early Education Program, the Weatherization Program for the Elgin area, The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) He formed the Concerned Citizens of the Northwest Suburbs, Vice President of the Elgin NAACP and served as President of Operation PUSH of the Northwest Suburbs. He pushed for the Citizen’s Review Board of the Elgin Police Department.
In December of 1996, after 20 years of service with the City of Elgin, he retired to pursue Full-Time work in the Pastoral Ministering at two churches. He served as Superintendent of the Saint F. W. McGee District appointed by the late Bishop Louis Henry Ford in 1990, which at one time encompassed nine (9) churches located in the Chicago Metropolitan area. Then in 2003, Bishop Booker combined the William Campbell Sr. with the Saint F.W. McGee District where Pastor Blalark served as Supt. for 25 Years. In 1997, he was elevated by Bishop Ocie Booker to the position of Second Administrative Assistant of the First Jurisdiction of Illinois of the Church of God in Christ (reporting to Bishop Booker). Which he has headed many committees to assist Bishop Booker in caring out Prelate duties . In 2003 Supt. Blalark was also appointed to Chief of Staff for 1st Jurisdiction of Illinois C.O.G.I.C. and he was the Assistant Dean of the Charles Harrison Mason Systematic Bible College.
Rebara G. Spates-Blalark was born August 4, 1953. She was the thirteenth of fifteen children (nine girls and six boys) born to Supt. Leonard Sr. and Mrs. Mildred Taylor Spates, of Elgin Illinois. She entered holy matrimony to Walter H. Blalark on June 1, 1974. To this union, six (6) children were born: Kemmerin (LaTonya), Keira (Robert), Karissa (Sam), Korron (Ava), Keenan and Kammarra (Corey) and one adopted daughter, Kapree Thomas-Washington (Earl.) She is the grandmother of 16 and one Great Granddaughter, Sevyn. Missionary Rebara Blalark is a true woman of God, a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She teaches everyone that she comes in contact with to love and follow the Lord. She is not just mother to the Blalark children, but she is mother, grandmother, godmother, sister and friend to many, many family members, neighbors and members of both the Cole Temple and Living Gospel Ministries.
Missionary Rebara Blalark was raised in a loving and warm Christian home. She was born in the church of God in Christ. Rebara comes from a musically talented family that is blessed and anointed by God. At the age of nine, she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior under the leadership of her father Pastor Leonard Spates, Sr; founder of Spates Temple Church of God in Christ.
Missionary Blalark has many talents and accomplishments. She has served as Minister of Music of St. F.W. McGhee, Sr. District she has also trained and directed choirs. She has since retired after 30 years of being the Sunshine Band Director of the Church of God in Christ under Dr. Lydia Howard. Recently she received high accolades and honor from 1st Jurisdiction of IL Youth Department under Bishop Ocie Booker and State Mother Shirley Hughes in being chosen as the 2017 Unsung Hero for her work within the COGIC organization. Missionary Blalark has also written many songs for Children’s Ministries, National Sunshine Bands and has done many workshops for Children. The first song she wrote was, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Her most recent accomplishment is her recent appointment of being a Missionary through the Charles Harrison Mason/William Roberts College of Ministry of 1st Jurisdiction of IL.
In the many adventures in her life past and to come, we praise God that she never has and never will lose her enthusiasm and focus that God has blessed her with.