Charles Harrison Mason was an influential American religious leader and the founder of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), one of the largest African American Pentecostal denominations. Born on September 8, 1864, in Memphis, Tennessee, he played a significant role in the early 20th-century Pentecostal movement, emphasizing spiritual gifts and holiness. Mason's leadership helped shape the COGIC's doctrines and practices, promoting a message of faith, healing, and empowerment. He served as the church's first presiding bishop and worked tirelessly to expand its reach, establishing numerous congregations across the United States and beyond before his death on November 17, 1961.