Junious Augustus Blake, Sr.
was born on October 5, 1912 in Camden, Arkansas. He was the fourth of seven
children born to Eason and Ethel Blake.
He attended grade school in Texarkana, Arkansas and
received Theological training at Shorter College in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
In 1946, he received a Bachelor of Theology Degree from Shorter College.
He was called to the ministry in 1927. He pastored
various churches through the state of Arkansas. He served as a District
Superintendent and also as president of the Youth Department in Arkansas.
In 1935, he married Lula Champion. To this union two
sons were born.
At the request of Bishop
S.M. Crouch, Bishop Blake
came to California. He was appointed pastor of Jackson Memorial Church of God In
Christ in San Diego, California.
In 1948, Bishop Blake was appointed District
Superintendent. In 1959, he was ordained as a Bishop in the Church of God In
Christ. He faithfully served as the Administrative Assistant to Bishop S.M.
Crouch. He was the past president of the Interdenominational Ministries Alliance
of San Diego and a past board member of the NAACP in San Diego, CA. He also
served as a member of the Board of Directors of Pacific Coast Bank in San Diego.
Bishop Blake served four terms of as a member of the
General Board of the Church of God In Christ, Inc. During his last term, he was
appointed Second Administrative Assistant to the International Presiding Bishop
of the Church of God In Christ, Inc.
He has served as Interim Bishop of the Kansas, Oregon,
Utah, and Arkansas Jurisdictions. He was appointed Bishop of the First
Jurisdiction of Southern California in
1976. Under his leadership, the First Jurisdiction continued to flourish. Bishop
Blake died on November 13, 1984.