Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Sixth Episcopal Music Department

Bishop Othal Hawthorne Lakey - Presiding Prelate
Dr. Elfreda A. Lakey - Episcopal District Music Coordinator

Our Presiding Prelate

 
Othal Hawthorne Lakey, the 44th Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is a native of Shreveport, La. At eight years of age he migrated with his family to Los Angeles, Ca. where he was reared. He is a product of the public schools of Los Angeles.

Prior to elevation to the Episcopal Office of his denomination, Lakey served extensive pastorates in Pasco, Wa., Portland, Or., Shreveport, La., and Dallas, Tx. In 1974, he was elected Editor of The Christian Index, the official publication of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. He held this position until elected bishop in 1982.

Othal H. Lakey is a graduate of Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wa. with a B.A. degree in history and a minor in philosophy. He holds a Master of Divinity Degree from the Theological School of Drew University, a Master of Sacred Theology Degree from the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, and a Doctor of Laws and Letters from the Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, Georgia.; Lane College, Jackson Tennessee; and Texas College, Tyler, Texas, honors cause.

From 1968 to 1970, he taught religion at Texas College, Tyler, Tx. He is the author of The Rise of “Colored” Methodism: A Study of the Background and Beginnings of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (1970); The History of the C.M.E. Church (1985); The History of the C.M.E. Church, Revised (1995) Co-author of, God in My Mama’s House ~ A Study of the Women’s Movement in the C.M.E. Church (1994); and The History of the C.M.E. Church (Revised), 1996. His most recent publication is, “Mama, will I Have to Shine Shoes the Rest of My Life: A Few Sermons Out of the Black Experience (1996). He has also contributed numerous articles to books and periodicals.

Bishop Lakey is a recognized scholar on African-American religious history and is considered the authority on the history of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. He is the official historian of the C.M.E. Church, is Chair of the C.M.E. Church Commission on History and Archives, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Paine College, member of the Board of Trustees of the I.T.C. He has served as a member of the world Methodist Historical Society and the North American Section of the American Religious Townhall, Inc. He is listed in The Encyclopedia of African–American Religions.

Presently, Bishop Lakey is the Presiding Bishop of the Sixth Episcopal District (the State of Georgia) of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Chair of the C.M.E. Department of Christian Education and Chair of the Committee on the Compilation of the Book of Discipline 2006.

He is married to Dr. Elfreda Almond Lakey and they are the parents of two adult sons, James Othal and Bryan Ashley, two adult daughters, Rachel and Millicent; and the grandparents of seventeen year old Keisha, thirteen year old Bryan II and nine year old Jaide. They reside at the Episcopal Residence in Decatur, Georgia.

                            Our Episcopal Coordinator

Elfreda Lakey is the fourth child of the late Mr. and Mrs. Hamp and Mayola Almond and was born in Elberton, Georgia. She graduated from Blackwell Memorial High School in Elbert County in 1968. In addition, she graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Education in 1972, from Atlanta University with a Master of Arts in English Education in 1980, a Specialist in Education in Leadership and Supervision 1991 and a Doctor of Education in Administration and Supervision 1998 with honors.

Elfreda Lakey taught English at Lithonia High School in the Dekalb County School System from 1978 to 1986 and was promoted to Central Office to instruct elementary teachers on how to teach writing to at-risk students. In 1989 she went to Gainesville, Georgia as an assistant principal at Gainesville High School and in 1992 became Principal at Enota Elementary School.  In 2003 opened a brand new school called New Holland Elementary and was promoted to Central Office as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in December 2006.  Her duties and responsibilities include hiring for the system, certification, supervising maintenance and transportation and the nutrition program, evaluations, Title IX and more.

Elfreda Lakey has received The Teacher of the Year Award twice in her career and other awards such as being listed in Who’s Who for Educators, National Association of Professional Women, Newtown Florist Club Lifetime Achievement Award, Gainesville’s NAACP award, and others.

 She is a member of the following professional organizations: Georgia Association of School Personnel, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Gainesville Association of Educators and the National Association of Professional Women.

Elfreda Lakey is a member of Shy Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta where she serves as the Minister of Music for over 20 years.  She is also the Sixth Episcopal District Music Coordinator for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. She has served in this position for 15 years.  During the 15 years she formed the Voices of the Sixth Episcopal District and had many concerts.    She coordinated over 12 music workshops and three recordings both with major artists such as James Bignon and Chester D.T. Baldwin.

Elfreda Lakey’s hobbies are playing the piano, reading and doing word find puzzles.

Elfreda Lakey is married to Bishop Othal H. Lakey.  She is the proud mother of two beautiful, smart daughters: Rachel McRae, an administrator with the Richmond County School District and Millicent McRae a Social Worker with University Hospital.  She is also the proud step mother of two wonderful sons and the step grandmother of three lovely grandchildren.