About Me
WHO IS CJ BLAIR ?
The Story......
When CJ Blair’s mother told her boyfriend that she was pregnant, he left and never returned, abandoning her and her baby. In a struggle to survive in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC, CJ Blair joined a street gang, hustled, and fought to stay alive.
Growing up among prostitutes and drug dealers, the only father Blair ever knew was his mother’s pimp, and he quickly took on the culture of the streets. Driving luxurious European cars, traveling to Vegas, dressing in expensive urban gear, and having plenty of cash at his disposal all before the age of 16, Blair was confident that his life of crime, gangs, drugs, and violence was his only option for obtaining the illusive “American Dreamâ€.
But soon, the streets began to reap a harvest of destruction in Blair’s life: dropping out of school, fighting with rival gangs, robbery and cocaine trafficking charges against him, family and friends abandoning his side, and loss of all his material possessions.
Blair spent the next 12 years in and out of jails and penitentaries. On his final 5-year stint in federal prison, Blair earned his GED, but returned home still hungry for the illegal lifestyle that he was accustomed to.
The Man........
On one fateful day in 1997, in the midst of his return to the hustle he should have left behind, God moved mightily within his heart – resulting in his full surrenderance to the Lord Jesus Christ. After only 4 months since salvation, the Lord led Blair to preach the glorious gospel before thousands at the Holy Convocation for the Church of God In Christ (C.O.G.I.C.) in Memphis, Tennessee.
With the love of Christ in his heart, Blair’s eyes were now opened to see that the church was full of all kinds of people except those that looked like him: the homies from the hood, the prostitutes, the drug dealers, and the strippers. “What about the those with Timberland boots, baseball caps, and throw back jerseys, don’t they need Jesus too?†he said.
That is when C.O.F.A.T. (Come Out From Among Them) Ministries, based on 2 Corinthians 6:17 was born. C.O.F.A.T.’s mission is to claim the un-churched, to call the disenchanted within the church, and to capture those outside the church who are headed for destruction.
With a stage and one microphone, Blair started preaching outside in the very streets where he hustled drugs for years in DC. He then initiated “Sin-free Saturdaysâ€, bringing together over 600 youth every week – resulting in a 17% drop in crime in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Blair served as Assistant Pastor to Reverend Dr. Jamal H. Bryant of Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, Maryland. He is also the Youth Culture Advisor at Gospel Invasion Worldwide, Inc. - an international ministry meeting the needs of the youth all over the world.
In addition, he produced and hosted a radio broadcast on Washington D.C.’s Heaven 1580, “The Break Bread Crew†and assisted in organizing “Super Sundays†events in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and Atlanta.
He is the visionary behind The “Got Gifts†Tour—an evangelistic ministry touring churches, schools, and college campuses across the country. Reverend Blair is Founder and Pastor at Remnant Church of C.O.F.A.T Ministries in Laurel, Maryland.
Pastor Blair is a devoted husband to his lovely wife and a proud father to his two beautiful daughters.
Why you need to know CJ Blair.........
Pastor Blair is a man literally Risen to new life from the Dead of this world to empower and teach others to do the same. He comes to quicken the Body of Christ beyond Sunday services and auxiliary boards, toward a Global Movement with Eternal Purpose by proclaiming: “No Games, No Gimmicks, Just Jesusâ€
Realizing now that he was misusing his God-given entrepreneurial and leadership skills, Blair is determined to influence others to recognize their gifts and use them in positive and productive ways for the betterment of our communities.
Check Out This Episode of REAL TALK with CJ BLAIR:
OPRAH HAS A CHURCH??
ABC Correspondent Tracy Thomas interviews CJ Blair, Founder of C.O.F.A.T.:
