Rev. Joe Williams informed TBGB that pastor, musician, composer, professor and author Rev. Dr. Charles Walker passed away Sunday, August 21 in Philadelphia.
A relative of Mahalia Jackson, Dr. Walker was among the early musician leaders of Rev. Dr. Clay Evans’ Fellowship M.B. Church in Chicago.  He was a professor at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and served as pastor of Philadelphia’s Nineteenth Street Baptist Church.  He wrote Miss Lucie, a biography of gospel songwriter Lucie Campbell.  
Among Dr. Walker’s musical compositions is Requiem for Brother Martin, a work for chorus and orchestra written in memory of Rev. Dr. Luther King, Jr.  His knowledge of music history was boundless.
His sons Pierre and Jason are also noted musicians.

TBGB expresses its deepest sympathies to the Walker family on their dear loss. 

Homegoing services are below.  The repast will be at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church (Rev. Allyn Waller, Pastor). 

Services Location:
Triumph Baptist Church – Rev. James S. Hall, Jr., Pastor
1648 W. Hunting Park Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19140
215-228-8000-Church Telephone
215-228-8880-Church Fax

Sunday, August 28, 2011
Lie In State: 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Musical: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Monday, August 29, 2011
Viewing: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Funeral: 11:00 a.m. – Dr. Clay Evans, Officiating

Condolences:
The Walker Family
631 Lindley Avenue
Glenside, PA 19038
215-887-9277

Funeral Services:
Emmanuel Johnson Funeral Home
6653 Chew Ave.
Philadelphia, PA. 19119

18 Comments

  1. Pierre Walker August 23, 2011 at 6:16 pm - Reply

    Thank the Lord for a wonderful,father FULL of GODLY wisdom. I know where he is,so I haven’t lost him,but I’m gonna miss my Dad.Thank the Lord I got a chance to be with him the night before he departed this life.

  2. Pierre Walker August 23, 2011 at 6:21 pm - Reply

    I’m going to miss my Dad. I haven’t lost him because I know where he is. I thank God for a wonderful Dad full of Godly wisdom. Thank God I got a chance to get to Philadelphia the night before he departed this life. I got to talk,and pray with him. Please keep our family lifted in prayer.

  3. Bob Marovich August 23, 2011 at 6:29 pm - Reply

    Pierre — I was so very sorry to hear of your dad’s passing but am happy to know that you got to see him one more time before he left this world to collect his reward.

    My prayers are with you and your family.

  4. Anonymous August 24, 2011 at 2:28 am - Reply

    To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. There is no doubt where Pastor Walker is! What an awesome preacher and a wonderful person. It just still feels so unreal. His smile will always put a smile on my face. Your loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers.
    He will be so missed!!!
    Rev. & Mrs. Jamel Washington, ShiLoh Baptist Church, RVC, NY

  5. F. Brice August 24, 2011 at 8:27 am - Reply

    He was a preacher’s preacher. In the ’80s & ’90s, Pastor Walker would preach at Mt. Pleasant and Huber Memorial Churches in Baltimore. Read the Word, place Bible in his suit jacket, speak softly and preach hard. He had played the piano for us too. This mighty man of God will be missed. Heaven is a having a great concert now because Professor Walker has made it Home.

  6. Kim Davis August 25, 2011 at 4:21 pm - Reply

    Thank God for the life of Rev. Dr. Charles Walker. I had so hoped I heard the wrong name on the radio announcement. Always looked forward to his visit to SMBC to preach. Enjoyed hearing him speak and admired his intelligence. Our sincere condolences to the family. We are praying for you during this season of sorrow. I’m reminded of Rev. 21:10 – And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.

  7. Shanell August 26, 2011 at 4:01 am - Reply

    Uncle Charles I will miss you dearly and I will always remember the good times. I’m just happy that you are in a better place. I love You

  8. Walter S. Davis August 26, 2011 at 1:55 pm - Reply

    The songwriter echoed it best: “let this life I live, speak for me.” Truly his walk, talk, outreach, powerful sermons and Joshua-like (“As for me and my house, weare going to serve the Lord), spoke Godly volumes in the treasured life of Dr. Walker.

  9. Monica Huddleston August 26, 2011 at 6:04 pm - Reply

    To the Walker family my condolences to you. I met Dr Charles Walker at the Gethsemane Missionary Baptise Church in Flint, Mi where i was a member and he was indeed a beautiful man of God. I looked forward to seeing him every year to preach the word of God and i made my way every year to be in his presence. He was truly an intelligent, humorous and wise man of God. He spoke on Miss Lucy. Thank God i have a copy of his magnificant book for memory. I will miss him spreading the gospel here in Flint. He is at rest and rejoicing in the beautiful Kingdom of Heaven! Monica Huddleston

  10. pamie August 27, 2011 at 6:59 am - Reply

    My name is Pam, and your father baptized me when I was 9 yrs old. He was a dear person to me. I will always remember him, and your mom. My heart is heavy because he was my pastor. Although I haven’t lived in Phila for more than 16 years. Please know that I think of you and your family during this time. I lost my mother about a year ago and I know how it feels to loose a parent. May God continue to bless you and your family.

  11. baileycream August 27, 2011 at 5:28 pm - Reply

    I can still see your dad preaching and sharing his thoughts. what a brillian man he was. I attened a performance about 2 years ago at St. Paul Baptist church in Riverton, NJ and he was in concert.What a musician and pianist he was. I wll alays remember his warmth, his kindness, his uplifting voice and so much more. I will miss him deeply. I praise God for allowing me to know him. god bless your family during this difficult time. Mrs. Lena Savage~`Willingboro, NJ

  12. Ron Barrett August 30, 2011 at 12:04 pm - Reply

    He was a Prince among Pastors/Preachers. God bless his ministry and his legacy.

  13. Anonymous September 1, 2011 at 4:21 pm - Reply

    Rev. Walker you will be missed. You baptized me and my sisters when we were little girls. I love you for your teachings and love of music. I know you are with the Lord and my heart rejoices! 19 Street and the surrounding neighborhood will miss you deeply. Thank you for your ear, your heart and love for me and my family. Thank you for instilling in me that by keeping God first in your life I can do ALL THINGS and no matter what the devil does I am God’s child and he ALWAYS has the last say!
    Pierre and Jason I love you both and it brings me comfort to know I knew and loved your father like my own. His love of the Lord and music has grown in each of you (smile). Pierre, I still laugh when I think of how he would walk through choir rehearsals with his glasses on the tip of his nose listening to us. I have such wonderful memories of singing in The Walker Specials, Soul Ensemble and Young Adult choirs.
    Rev. Walker may you rest in peace and God’s comfort be with your family.

    Love,
    DeNita Square-Smith of the Square Family

  14. DeNita September 1, 2011 at 4:25 pm - Reply

    Rev. Walker you will be missed. You baptized me and my sisters when we were little girls. I love you for your teachings and love of music. I know you are with the Lord and my heart rejoices! 19 Street and the surrounding neighborhood will miss you deeply. Thank you for your ear, your heart and love for me and my family. Thank you for instilling in me that by keeping God first in your life I can do ALL THINGS and no matter what the devil does I am God’s child and he ALWAYS has the last say!
    Pierre and Jason I love you both and it brings me comfort to know I knew and loved your father like my own. His love of the Lord and music has grown in each of you (smile). Pierre, I still laugh when I think of how he would walk through choir rehearsals with his glasses on the tip of his nose listening to us. I have such wonderful memories of singing in The Walker Specials, Soul Ensemble and Young Adult choirs.
    Rev. Walker may you rest in peace and God’s comfort be with your family.

    Love,
    DeNita Square-Smith of the Square Family

  15. Anonymous December 21, 2011 at 10:19 pm - Reply

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

  16. Anonymous April 12, 2012 at 3:44 pm - Reply

    Pastor Walker was a General in God’s Army and will be missed dearly until we meet again. Family, stay strong in The Lord and in The Power of His Might.
    chicago/memphis

  17. Anonymous January 15, 2014 at 3:07 pm - Reply

    3 little children home alone daily a neighbor catches the single mother home and asked can I take your kids to church with me Sunday? yes you may! myself and my 2 little brothers were taken to 19st baptist church. we had never been to a church before but when it was time to go home we didn’t want to leave! we continued to attend coming to bible study and eventually getting baptized. we were sad when our unstable parents decided to get back together and move to Maryland with our other 4 siblings. our father was a drug addict and physically abusive to my mother and all of the children. but I remembered the church number I would always call and whoever would answer would listen to my cries and pray for us. a couple years later at age 14 I was able to return to Philadelphia and my first stop was to 19st baptist church the only place I ever felt love. This time I had a child of my own in tow. I just want to say thank you to the neighbor sis Chloe Smalls for introducing myself and my brothers to the lord. sis Mary Tull (deceased) who would let me sit in her cleaners with her. decon Blackson whose voice I can still hear and most importantly Rev Walker & Mrs B Walker for always always being there to encourage me and lift my spirit up didn’t matter if I called the church or your home you would always be there for me! I love you
    Corinthia Justice.

  18. William Covington June 12, 2014 at 3:54 pm - Reply

    I first saw Rev Walker at First Baptist Church of Glenarden, MD preaching for their Missions Day Service in 2004. “You can’t Go Ye if you don’t have a passport” is what he said as he challenged the congregation to consider serving in Mission. That statement challenged me and the very next week I began the process of procuring my passport and in 2005 I starting doing Shot-term mission trips to present.

    In His Service,
    William A. Covington

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Written by : Bob Marovich

Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.