Long recognized as a powerful preacher, teacher and role model with a gift for reaching worshippers of all ages, the Reverend Margaret Elaine M. Flake has been impacting the many lives she touches at The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in New York City, where she served as co-pastor with the Reverend Floyd H. Flake until May, 2020. Upon the retirement of Dr. Floyd Flake, she received an appointment as Senior Pastor.  She continues to dedicate her life to the betterment of others by leading in Christian education, evangelistic, and outreach ministries.
 
Fondly called “Reverend Elaine” by the GAC congregation, she and her husband founded the Allen Christian School in 1982.  She was also instrumental in developing the Allen Women's Resource Center, which houses women and children who are victims of domestic violence.  Since 1983, she has served as Advisor to the Missionary Department, and many of the other ministries at Allen.   She proudly serves as Advisor/Coordinator of the Allen Women's Ministry Department, and each year over 1,000 women from across the country and the Caribbean attend the retreats she hosts.  Reverend Elaine has played a crucial role in increasing the membership of The Greater Allen A.M.E Cathedral to over fifteen thousand. She mentors many male and female leaders in the New York City area and is frequently invited to speak throughout the country.
 
Dr. Flake is the author of the popular book, God In Her Midst: Preaching Healing to Hurting Women and has contributed to The Women of Color Study Bible, and Souls of My Sisters: Black Women Break Their Silence, Tell Their Stories, and Heal Their Spirits.  She and her husband, the Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake authored two books, Practical Virtues: Everyday Values and Devotions for African American Families Learning to Live With All Our Souls published by Harper Collins and African American Church Management Handbook, published in 2005 by Judson Press.
 
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Flake earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. She received a Master of Arts Degree in English from Boston University and a Master of Divinity Degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She was awarded the Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary of Dayton, Ohio.  She serves on several community boards, and has received numerous citations and awards throughout her years of service.  She is a recipient of Union Seminary’s   Distinguished Alumni Award, and in March, 2017, she was inducted onto Morehouse College’s “Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers.”   She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; The Links, Incorporated; and the National Council of Negro Women.  She currently serves as the National Chaplain of the Links, Inc.
 
Married for more than 47 years to Dr. Floyd Flake, they are the parents of four adult children: Aliya, Nailah, Robert Rasheed, and Harold Hasan.  She has one granddaughter, Nia Renee.