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President's Page
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Charles W. Drake III, Ph.D

Charles Drake, the second of four children was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a third generation Seventh-day Adventist. Hearing the call to ministry early, he began preaching at the age of twelve and conducted his first evangelistic meeting when he was sixteen.

A product of Christian education, he attended denominational schools from elementary through college, and has earned a Ph.D in Executive Leadership and Administration.

He has pastored 16 churches ranging in membership from 9 to 2000. While serving as a Pastor he built or renovated 8 churches and baptized over 3500 precious souls. He has served as a conference administrator for 18 years as well as an adjunct instructor at The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary and National Louis University.

A sought after speaker, he has preached at several large gatherings and conventions across North America, the Caribbean Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa. He has also conducted leadership training seminars for several nationally known organizations.

He is married to Crystal, the Human Resources Director and Membership Coordinator for Central States Conference. They have three adult children and eleven grandchildren.

As a conference administrator he serves on several boards and committees including, the North American Division Executive Committee, the Shawnee Mission Hospital Board, the Littleton Hospital Board, the Adventist Health Systems Board, Union College Board of Trustees, Oakwood College Board of Trustees, and the Bradford-Cleveland-Brooks Leadership Center Executive Board.

In December 2008 he was elected President of the Central States Conference of Seventh-day Adventist. Central States Conference headquarters is in Kansas City Kansas and administers the Seventh-day Adventist churches in nine states across middle America.