About

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A brief Autobiography of Charles Ballard III

I was raised in a foster home by a remarkable man named Elmer Columbus Collins. My biological parents separated, and one went to live in New Jersey, and the other stayed in Princess Anne, Maryland, where I was living at the time. My placement into the Collin’s home was not just a change of residence, but a profound sense of belonging. It was a home filled with warmth, love, and a strong sense of family, despite the absence of blood relations. He was a man of faith, and I was growing in faith at a young age without any real family support.

I am the oldest of my parents’ six biological children and the second oldest of my siblings. I have a sister who is four months older than me. I have another sister by a different mother who is the same age as my sister Cynthia. So, I have five sisters and two brothers; the youngest brother is deceased. He died on my birthday, November 8.

This family split has continued even today. Despite these challenges, I have maintained a strong emotional connection with my siblings. I have a sister who lives in the Washington, D.C. area (Cynthia), a sister who lives in Fruitland, Maryland (Shirlene), a sister who lives in Marion, Maryland (Sheneatta), a sister who lives in Hopewell, Maryland (Dawn), a sister who lives in Crisfield, Maryland (Stella), and a brother who lives in Columbus, Georgia (DeWayne). These geographical locations are a best guess.

Oaksville was a family community. Most of the residents in the community attended church, even though many went out partying on Friday and Saturday nights. They were very protective of each other and well-known for defending the community and its members. “Outsiders” had difficulty dating community members without passing the collective family test. It was also a very athletic community with athletic stars in Basketball, Baseball, Football, Track and Field, and volleyball. It was also an equally impressive academic community with multiple members consistently at the very top of the graduating class (Valedictorian or Salutatorian) or several in the 5% of every graduating class. So when I graduated with honors and was very near the top of the class (the highest among males that year), it was a testament to the supportive community I was part of.

From the 8th grade forward, I was in the National Honor Society. I was also in the Student Council and the president or vice president of many clubs, such as chess, science, math, French, and the music club. I have won the yearly “Voice of America” writing and speaking contest several times. I served as a page in the Senate in Annapolis, Maryland, and was voted most likely to succeed. Many people thought someday I might be President of the United States of America.

Most of my friends were older, much older. I had a few close friends my age, but most were girls because they were more academically inclined. I was good at sports, but I never had time for them because they competed with the other things I liked to do, such as attending church, writing poetry, solving problems, and counseling everybody.

I left home after graduating high school, went to college, and completely bombed out. I lost focus on my moral, ethical, and Christian upbringing. A year later, I joined the USMC and had a remarkable career in intelligence as an Arabic linguist and communications. I attended standard schools of advancement (NCO and SNCO Academy, where I finished second and third, respectively). Along the way, I passed up an opportunity to attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, to attend the University of Maryland College Park, Officer’s Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia, as well as the Warrant Officer Program (or MECEP) for the USMC at the Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina.

Amy and I have been married since November 18, 2005. I have four children from a previous marriage and a son and daughter out of wedlock. Both children are miracle babies and came after, not during, my separation from my children’s mother. Amy and I have no children and have chosen to foster and adopt. We have adopted ten children, eight girls, and two boys. We have fostered around 65 children in our home over an eight-year period.

I have been a Christian since I gave my life to Christ at age 16. My commitment to faith has been unwavering, leading me to be ordained a minister of the Gospel in 2007 and a Bishop in 2010. I have taught nearly every level within a traditional church, and we started The World Church International of Auburn-Opelika. Our belief system saturates the atmosphere in which we live, even though the church is not active now, but maybe later.

The most important people in my life have been Mr. Elmer Columbus Collins (my foster father), my teachers, and, in particular, Elsie Dotson (who wanted me to become a math teacher), Ethel Cottman (who wanted me to become President of the United States and was my English teacher); Elsie Pollitt (who wanted me to major in Physics or chemistry); Joan Cannon (mother of my close friend Joy Cannon who lived in Oaksville, wanted me to make something out of my life); Larry Russell who taught me how to be a cowboy and love country music; my mother Everlyn Shirley Boston Ballard, who from my youth relentless insisted that I believe I could do anything I put my mind to do.

I have been homeless, penniless, foodless, jobless, carless, and yet never without GOD!!! March to June of 1996 was probably the darkest point of my life. It began with me crying out to GOD, asking why he had forsaken me, and me reaching back to GOD, thanking him for never leaving me. It was during this time that I found the strength to persevere, a testament to the resilience that lies within each of us.

I graduated from Amridge University in June 2015 with a B.S. General Business Administration. I graduated from Amridge University in December 2019 with a Master of Divinity (MDiv). I am a Doctoral Candidate at Amridge University Turner School of Theology, pursuing my Doctor of Ministry with my Dissertation on Forming Relationships with Sons: The Experiences of Black Male Fathers Raised in Foster Care. The anticipated completion date is December 2025. I have taken classes at SUSCC related to childcare and I am a certified instructor for prospective foster and adoptive parents by the state of Alabama. I am certified as a CNA in New Jersey and have worked as a physical therapy assistant.

I enjoy just spending time alone with Amy. We talk, play games, watch movies, or go out and eat. However, now, I am engrossed in finishing my doctorate, completing three books, and hosting a website and blog on children. I am blessed; I have exceptional health, which has led to a long life from GOD and a youthfulness that defies definition. I ponder three pivotal changes in my life: 1. Not leaving home to go to college in 1972 and going to the community college first. 2. Not passing up the opportunity to get a ministerial education in Baltimore, Maryland in 1972 which was encouraged by my friend Vaughn Johnson. 3. Not being stupid enough to pass up an education at the Naval Academy or Harvard because I choose not to devulge the opportunity to anyone. I am overjoyed that I have an undying love for people and want them to be saved and live a God-centered life. I love my goddaughter, Tootsie Roll; she reminds me of my oldest daughter, Nika Rae, and I regret breaking Nika’s heart when I should have known better. I believe I would strive harder not to let anything or anyone come between my girls and me if I could do life all over again.