By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

 

St. Paul C.M.E. is welcoming Rev. Gary E. Chalk and 1st Lady Phyllis Chalk to the church and community on Sunday. The church is located at 1201 North 4th Street in Orange.

The church will host a Meet and Greet immediately following the 11 a.m. Worship service on Sunday.

Gary is the son of the late Reverend F.E. Chalk and Betty Chalk Raibon. A 1976 graduate of Big Sandy High School, he was one of the first blacks students to be inducted in to the National Honor Society.

He has served on as trustee for the Big sandy Independent School district and also was the first black president in 1992. He also served on the Overton ISD board.

He has served as president of the Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, and the Housing Authority prior to relocating to the Marshall area.

In Marshall, he was a member of the Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce.

Gary, with his wife, Phyllis, now reside in Beaumont. He is currently a member of the Board of Southeast Texas Council Against Drugs and Alcohol, the board of the United Way and the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce.

He is the Southeast Texas Director in Beaumont for Centerpoint.

He has been pastoring since 1999.

He is an accomplished singer, musician, and choir director.

Phyllis Chalk has been a teacher for 31 years. She was selected as Rotary Teacher of the month and later Teacher of the Year while employed at Longview Independent School District.

She currently teaches at Fletcher Elementary School as the Physical Education teacher. She was recognized as Teacher of the Year for 2017-2018 for Beaumont ISD.

She is an active member of the church at both the local and regional level. She serves as the Regional Coordinator for One Church – One School, a minister spouse and wife of the Patron Pastor for the SETX Missionaries.

Gary E. and Phyllis Chalk have five sons and nine grandchildren.