Hezekiah Walker
Encyclopedia
Bishop Hezekiah Xzavier Walker, Jr. (born December 24, 1962, in Brooklyn, New York) is a Grammy Award
-winning gospel music
artist, founder and leader of the Love Fellowship Choir (LFC), and Pastor
and Bishop
of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle, with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in the United States
. Bishop Walker is also the Founder and Overseer
of the Covenant Keepers International Fellowship, which spiritually covers, giving guidance and direction to, numerous pastors and their churches in the US - including multiple Love Fellowship Tabernacle - The Kingdom Church, with locations throughout the US and in South Africa
.
members would eventually become his church members. It was under the tutelage of Pastor Wilbur Jones, of the Beulah Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, the Presiding Prelate
of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ, that Walker received his confirmation and ordination into the pastoralship.
. As a result, many young people turned from a life of drugs, crime, and sin because of his ability to preach, teach, and “rightly divide” the Word of God without fear or reservation. The messages were, and still are, hardcore that the rap
world responded to the realness of it and deemed him as the “Pastor of Hip Hop
.” In the first year of the church’s ministry, Peter Jennings
of ABC World News Tonight, covered a report on the 30% drop in crime in the East New York area because of the existence of Love Fellowship Tabernacle, according to the local 73rd and 75th precincts. Walker received an award from the local precincts and was also cited in 1995 by the Council of the City of New York for his outstanding work in the community.
s to be saved was always a priority for Walker, so on Easter Sunday 1996 Love Fellowship Tabernacle relocated to 464 Liberty Avenue. What had begun with only eight members had quickly blossomed to over 2,000 plus members. The vision God
gave to Walker was founded on the three “P’s:” Prayer, Preaching, and Praise. As he led the people of God into prayer and praise, he labored diligently in the preaching of the gospel to ensure that people of all ages receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. His ability to motivate, inspire, and empower through the Word of God
drew people from all walks of life to Tuesday night’s prayer and Bible study, now known as the “Prayer Capital of New York City.” Presently, Walker and the Love Fellowship Tabernacle church family are seeking the Lord for a mega-church facility to accommodate the overflow of souls in Brooklyn.
Recognizing the need for God’s power to be manifested throughout the nation, Walker, in 1998, established the Love Fellowship Tabernacle in Willingboro, New Jersey. Shortly thereafter in November 2000, it relocated to a sprawling edifice at 5918 Hulmeville Road in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, a 2.4-acre
facility.
, convocation
s, and conferences and is repeatedly asked to share with some of today’s most dynamic ministries. He has been alongside Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr., Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop Noel Jones
, Bishop John Francis, Dr. Marvin L. Sapp, Pastor Marvin L. Winans, Pastor Shirley Caesar
, Pastor John P. Kee
, Pastor Jackie McCullough, Pastor Rod Parsley
, and Dr. Juanita Bynum
.
, majoring in Sociology
. He also attended Hugee Theological Seminary, and the New York School of the Bible. Currently, he is attending the Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne, PA. Walker is the president and founder of the Love Fellowship Bible Institute and the Youth Pastor of the Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ.
of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia
, Walker, after 14 years of pastoring one of the fastest-growing churches in the New York City area and in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and having fellowship churches in Long Island
, North Carolina
, South Carolina
, Georgia
, and recently a Love Fellowship Tabernacle “The Kingdom Church” in Cape Town, South Africa, was chosen to be consecrated into the bishopric
by Bishop William L. Bonner, Chief Apostle of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., and Senior Pastor of the Greater Refuge Temple COOLJC (the organization's headquarters church) in Harlem, New York.
"Pastor Walker is a son of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ," said Bonner, adding he recently heard Walker preach, and was "impressed with the appeal Pastor Walker had in drawing a younger generation into the Kingdom of God." "This honor means so much to me but also to my churches. Words cannot express how I feel to receive this elevation from Bishop William L. Bonner, truly this is a blessing from God,” stated Walker.
In December 2008 Bishop Walker received his affirmation to the Bishopric by The Late Bishop Kenneth H. Moales Sr., Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ and was appointed 1st Vice Bishop of that reformation during Holy Convocation 2009.
Chief Consecrators were Bishop J. Delano Ellis, Bishop Alfred Owens, and Bishop Huie Rogers. Bishop John Francis of London, England, delivered the homily.
Bishop Walker states, “We were in our Annual Convocation (2010),” recalled Bishop Walker, “and Bishop Moales was ministering about succession. He was saying that many leaders fail because they don’t have a succession plan. Then, at the end of his message, he turned and began to set things in order. He told us, ‘If God should call me home, this is what I want done.” He told us what to do for his wife (Lady Peggy Moales), and what to do for his home church (Prayer Tabernacle, Bridgeport, CT). Then he looked at all the pastors and he looked at me and said, ‘Bishop Walker will become the new prelate of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ.’ I was in a total state of shock!”
Eight months later, Bishop Moales died.
s on the music labels; Sweet Rain Records, Benson Music Group, and Verity Records
as Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Choir, and more recently (since 2005) as, Hezekiah Walker & LFC.
Walker's efforts have seen him win Grammy Awards for Best Gospel Album By Choir Or Chorus twice: once for Live in Atlanta at Morehouse College (1994), and once for Love Is Live! (2001).
Separate from The Love Fellowship Choir, Walker's Love Fellowship Tabernacle Choir (LFT Church Choir) has released albums entitled Recorded "Live" at Love Fellowship Tabernacle in 1998, and Love Is Live in 2001.
.
Walker is also the host of his own radio show, Afternoon Praise, which airs during weekdays from 2pm-7pm on the only 24-hour Gospel Station in New York City, 1190 WLIB
.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
artist, founder and leader of the Love Fellowship Choir (LFC), and Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
and Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle, with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Bishop Walker is also the Founder and Overseer
Overseer
Rob Overseer is an English DJ/producer, born in Leeds whose works have been included in soundtracks for Animatrix, Snatch, Any Given Sunday and The Girl Next Door, as well as video games like Need for Speed: Underground, NFL Gameday 2004, several Matchstick Productions ski films, and Stuntman,...
of the Covenant Keepers International Fellowship, which spiritually covers, giving guidance and direction to, numerous pastors and their churches in the US - including multiple Love Fellowship Tabernacle - The Kingdom Church, with locations throughout the US and in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Biography
Walker is the visionary, founder, and Bishop of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle - The Kingdom Church churches, with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in the US. As pastor, he shepherds a growing and multi-cultural flock of members varying in age, race, and socio-economic background. Born and raised in Brooklyn in the tumultuous Fort Greene public housing projects, he has risen to found, build, and lead a significant ministry.Beginnings
He catapulted into recognition in 1985 for his singing ability with the Grammy Award-winning Love Fellowship Crusade Choir. It was his travels with the Crusade Choir that enabled him to reach people from all walks of life who he had never encountered while growing up in the projects. This, unbeknownst to him at the time, would be the start of his pastoral training, for many of his choirChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
members would eventually become his church members. It was under the tutelage of Pastor Wilbur Jones, of the Beulah Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, the Presiding Prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ, that Walker received his confirmation and ordination into the pastoralship.
Birthing of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle and "Pastor Walker"
Love Fellowship Tabernacle was birthed in April 1994, located at 2425 Pacific Street, under the leadership of Elder Hezekiah Walker; which is the cradle of the Tabernacle with its humble beginnings of only eight members. The church, located in the East New York section of Brooklyn, congregated with young adolescent parishioners was dedicated to winning souls for ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. As a result, many young people turned from a life of drugs, crime, and sin because of his ability to preach, teach, and “rightly divide” the Word of God without fear or reservation. The messages were, and still are, hardcore that the rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
world responded to the realness of it and deemed him as the “Pastor of Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
.” In the first year of the church’s ministry, Peter Jennings
Peter Jennings
Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings, CM was a Canadian American journalist and news anchor. He was the sole anchor of ABC's World News Tonight from 1983 until his death in 2005 of complications from lung cancer...
of ABC World News Tonight, covered a report on the 30% drop in crime in the East New York area because of the existence of Love Fellowship Tabernacle, according to the local 73rd and 75th precincts. Walker received an award from the local precincts and was also cited in 1995 by the Council of the City of New York for his outstanding work in the community.
Expansion of the Pastoral Ministry
The need for soulSoul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
s to be saved was always a priority for Walker, so on Easter Sunday 1996 Love Fellowship Tabernacle relocated to 464 Liberty Avenue. What had begun with only eight members had quickly blossomed to over 2,000 plus members. The vision God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
gave to Walker was founded on the three “P’s:” Prayer, Preaching, and Praise. As he led the people of God into prayer and praise, he labored diligently in the preaching of the gospel to ensure that people of all ages receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. His ability to motivate, inspire, and empower through the Word of God
Word of God
Word of God or God's Word may refer to:*Divine revelation**certain Religious texts**Prophecy**Biblical literalism*Logos as "divine word"** in biblical creation, see Genesis creation narrative**in trinitarianism, see Jesus Christ the Logos...
drew people from all walks of life to Tuesday night’s prayer and Bible study, now known as the “Prayer Capital of New York City.” Presently, Walker and the Love Fellowship Tabernacle church family are seeking the Lord for a mega-church facility to accommodate the overflow of souls in Brooklyn.
Recognizing the need for God’s power to be manifested throughout the nation, Walker, in 1998, established the Love Fellowship Tabernacle in Willingboro, New Jersey. Shortly thereafter in November 2000, it relocated to a sprawling edifice at 5918 Hulmeville Road in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, a 2.4-acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
facility.
Ministry associations
Walker is ministering nationally and internationally at churches, revivalsRevival meeting
A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held in order to inspire active members of a church body, to raise funds and to gain new converts...
, convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
s, and conferences and is repeatedly asked to share with some of today’s most dynamic ministries. He has been alongside Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr., Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop Noel Jones
Noel Jones
Noel Andrew Stephen Jones was an Indian-born British diplomat, British ambassador to Kazakhstan from 1993 to 1995...
, Bishop John Francis, Dr. Marvin L. Sapp, Pastor Marvin L. Winans, Pastor Shirley Caesar
Shirley Caesar
Shirley Ann Caesar is an American Gospel music singer, songwriter and recording artist whose career has spanned six decades...
, Pastor John P. Kee
John P. Kee
John P. Kee is an American gospel singer and pastor.-Early life:John P. Kee was born the 15th out of 16 children in Durham, North Carolina. At an early age he began to develop his musical talent both instrumentally and vocally...
, Pastor Jackie McCullough, Pastor Rod Parsley
Rod Parsley
Rodney Lee Parsley is a prominent American Christian minister, author, television host and evangelist. He is senior pastor of World Harvest Church, a large Pentecostal church in Columbus, Ohio and founder and president of The Center for Moral Clarity, a right-wing Christian grassroots advocacy...
, and Dr. Juanita Bynum
Juanita Bynum
Juanita Bynum is an American Pentecostal televangelist, author, actress and gospel singer.-Early life:Juanita Bynum is one of 5 children, from the marriage of Elder Thomas Bynum Sr. and Katherine Bynum. She grew up in Chicago, and received a starring role in Perry Middle School's annual play, My...
.
Education
Walker attended Long Island UniversityLong Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
, majoring in Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. He also attended Hugee Theological Seminary, and the New York School of the Bible. Currently, he is attending the Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne, PA. Walker is the president and founder of the Love Fellowship Bible Institute and the Youth Pastor of the Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ.
Elevation: "Overseer Walker"
On December 18, 2003, Walker was ordained Overseer by the Honorable, The Late Bishop Kenneth H. Moales Sr., during the 10th Founders Week Celebration of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle. In his new elevation, Walker began a covenant relationship with other pastors in the northeast of the US, and in South Africa, under the title of the Covenant Keepers International Fellowship.Elevation: "Bishop Walker"
On August 3, 2008, during the 89th International Holy ConvocationConvocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Walker, after 14 years of pastoring one of the fastest-growing churches in the New York City area and in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and having fellowship churches in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and recently a Love Fellowship Tabernacle “The Kingdom Church” in Cape Town, South Africa, was chosen to be consecrated into the bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
by Bishop William L. Bonner, Chief Apostle of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., and Senior Pastor of the Greater Refuge Temple COOLJC (the organization's headquarters church) in Harlem, New York.
"Pastor Walker is a son of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ," said Bonner, adding he recently heard Walker preach, and was "impressed with the appeal Pastor Walker had in drawing a younger generation into the Kingdom of God." "This honor means so much to me but also to my churches. Words cannot express how I feel to receive this elevation from Bishop William L. Bonner, truly this is a blessing from God,” stated Walker.
In December 2008 Bishop Walker received his affirmation to the Bishopric by The Late Bishop Kenneth H. Moales Sr., Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ and was appointed 1st Vice Bishop of that reformation during Holy Convocation 2009.
Elevation: "Presiding Prelate of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ"
On June 12, 2011, Bishop Walker was officially enthroned and installed as the Presiding Prelate of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ, as the successor to His Grace, The Late Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr.Chief Consecrators were Bishop J. Delano Ellis, Bishop Alfred Owens, and Bishop Huie Rogers. Bishop John Francis of London, England, delivered the homily.
Bishop Walker states, “We were in our Annual Convocation (2010),” recalled Bishop Walker, “and Bishop Moales was ministering about succession. He was saying that many leaders fail because they don’t have a succession plan. Then, at the end of his message, he turned and began to set things in order. He told us, ‘If God should call me home, this is what I want done.” He told us what to do for his wife (Lady Peggy Moales), and what to do for his home church (Prayer Tabernacle, Bridgeport, CT). Then he looked at all the pastors and he looked at me and said, ‘Bishop Walker will become the new prelate of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ.’ I was in a total state of shock!”
Eight months later, Bishop Moales died.
Slogan of the Bishop
Bishop Walker remains confident in this one fact: “And Because God Is The Greatest Power, We Shall Not Be Defeated!”Musical career
Walker has released several albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s on the music labels; Sweet Rain Records, Benson Music Group, and Verity Records
Verity Records
Verity Records is an American gospel music-focused record label founded in 1994. The label is a now major component and namesake of Verity Gospel Music Group , the Gospel group operated by Jive Label Group, which in turn is owned by Sony Music Entertainment.-Artists :* 21:03* Crystal Aikin*...
as Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Choir, and more recently (since 2005) as, Hezekiah Walker & LFC.
Walker's efforts have seen him win Grammy Awards for Best Gospel Album By Choir Or Chorus twice: once for Live in Atlanta at Morehouse College (1994), and once for Love Is Live! (2001).
Separate from The Love Fellowship Choir, Walker's Love Fellowship Tabernacle Choir (LFT Church Choir) has released albums entitled Recorded "Live" at Love Fellowship Tabernacle in 1998, and Love Is Live in 2001.
Extensions of musical career
In 2003, Walker wrote his first book, entitled Destiny: Dream It, Declare It, Do It, published by Whitaker HouseWhitaker House
Whitaker House is a charismatic, theologically conservative, evangelical Christian publishing house in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, just east of Pittsburgh...
.
Walker is also the host of his own radio show, Afternoon Praise, which airs during weekdays from 2pm-7pm on the only 24-hour Gospel Station in New York City, 1190 WLIB
WLIB
WLIB is an urban contemporary gospel AM radio station located in New York City. WLIB is owned by Inner City Broadcasting Corporation along with sister station WBLS...
.
Albums
- I'll Make It (Sweet Rain, 1987)
- Oh Lord We Praise You (Sweet Rain, 1990)
- The Best of Hezzie (Sweet Rain, 1991)
- Focus On Glory (Benson, 1992)
- Live In Toronto (Benson, 1993)
- Live in Atlanta at Morehouse College (Benson, 1994)
- Gospel Greats (Benson, 1995)
- Live In New York - By Any Means... (Benson, 1995)
- Live In London at Wembley (Verity, 1997)
- Pastor Hezekiah Walker Presents The LFT Church Choir - Recorded "Live" at Love Fellowship Tabernacle (Verity, 1998)
- Family Affair (Verity, 1999)
- LFT Church Choir - Love Is Live: at Love Fellowship Tabernacle; Hezekiah Walker, Pastor (Verity, 2001)
- Family Affair II: Live at Radio City Music Hall (Verity, 2002)
- Nothing But The Hits (Verity, 2003)
- 20/85 The Experience (Verity, 2005)
- The Essential Hezekiah Walker (Verity, 2007)
- Souled Out (Verity, 2008)
- The Very Best of Hezekiah Walker (Verity, 2010)
Personal life
Bishop Walker is a family man and the father of one child; daughter, KyAsia Monét Walker.External links
- Love Fellowship Official Website
- Hezekiah Walker Ministries Official Website
- Verity Records Official Website
- 1190 WLIB - Your Praise & Inspiration Station Official Website