Gilbert E. Patterson
Encyclopedia
Bishop G. E. Patterson (September 22, 1939 – March 20, 2007) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Pentecostal-Holiness
Holiness
Holiness is the state of being holy or sacred.Holiness is being clean or pure, to be holy is to be like God.Holiness may also refer to:* Holiness movement, a specific tradition within evangelicalism...

, Charismatic minister who served as the international Presiding Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 and Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....

 (COGIC), Inc.

Gilbert Earl Patterson was born to Bishop William Archie 'W. A.' (1898–1991) and Mary Louise Williams Patterson (1901–1981) in Humboldt, Tennessee
Humboldt, Tennessee
Humboldt is a city in Gibson and Madison counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 8,452 at the 2010 census, a decline of 1,015 in 2000. It is the principal city of and is included in the Humboldt, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Jackson,...

. He was reared in Memphis and Detroit. Bishop Patterson's uncle was J.O. Patterson, Sr.
J.O. Patterson, Sr.
James Oglethorpe 'J. O.' Patterson, Sr. was an American Pentecostal-Holiness and Charismatic, denomination leader. He was the Chief Apostle and first international Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc...

 (1912–1989), the Presiding Bishop of (COGIC) from 1968 until his death. His cousin was Bishop J.O. Patterson, Jr.
J.O. Patterson, Jr.
James Oglethorpe "J.O." Patterson, Jr. was a Bishop in the COGIC and a former Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee.-Biography:...

 (1935-2011), who was interim mayor of Memphis and chairman of the COGIC General Assembly. The First Assistant Presiding Bishop of the COGIC, Inc., Charles E. Blake
Charles E. Blake
Bishop Charles Edward Blake Sr. serves as the Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., a 6 million-member Pentecostal-Holiness denomination. On March 21, 2007, he became the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., as a result of Presiding Bishop...

, Sr. succeeded him as Presiding Bishop.

Bishop J. S. Bailey ordained him in 1958 as an elder in the Church of God in Christ. In 1962, Patterson became co-pastor with his father at Holy Temple Church of God in Christ in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

. Patterson continued his pastorate in 1975 as the founder and pastor of Temple of Deliverance, the Cathedral of the Bountiful Blessings near downtown. Today, Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ
Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ
Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ was founded March 6, 1975 by the late Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson in Memphis, Tennessee. The church's current pastor is Milton Hawkins, nephew of the founder...

 is one of the nation's fastest growing congregations with over 18,000 on its membership roll. In 2000, Calhoun street where Bountiful Blessing is located was renamed G. E. Patterson Ave., in honor of the Bishop.

Patterson founded the rapidly growing Bountiful Blessings Ministries (BBM) which is viewed internationally on The Word Network weekly, as well as on local TV stations throughout the nation. Bountiful Blessings Ministries has a mailing list of over 100,000 active donors from outside the Memphis viewing audience. Evangelist Louise D. Patterson is now the Chairperson and CEO of Bountiful Blessings Ministries.

Patterson studied at the Detroit Bible Institute (later known as William Tyndale College
William Tyndale College
William Tyndale College, often simply Tyndale, was a nondenominational Christian college located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Named after Protestant scholar William Tyndale, the college was founded as the Detroit Bible Institute in 1945, and became accredited by the American Association of Bible...

), and LeMoyne-Owen College
LeMoyne-Owen College
-External links:*...

 in Memphis. He held an Honorary Doctorate from Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...

 and was the President of the Charles H. Mason Bible College of Tennessee Fourth Jurisdiction in Memphis. Patterson was the publisher of Bountiful Blessings Magazine and a contributing writer in the Spirit Filled life Bible (King James Version) published by Thomas Nelson Publishers and edited by Dr. Jack W. Hayford
Jack W. Hayford
Jack Williams Hayford is an American author, Pentecostal minister, and Chancellor of The King's University...

. In July 2002, Whitaker House
Whitaker House
Whitaker House is a charismatic, theologically conservative, evangelical Christian publishing house in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, just east of Pittsburgh...

 released Patterson's first book, entitled Here Comes The Judge.

Patterson was married to the former Louise Dowdy for over 35 years.

In 2005, he announced that he was battling prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...

 and was hospitalized in January for an unannounced illness. Patterson died on March 20, 2007 of heart failure.

On March 28, 2007, the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 of the United States of America passed a resolution celebrating the life of Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson. The sponsors were Senators Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

, Levin
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party....

, Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...

, Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...

 and Corker
Bob Corker
Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.-Early life and family:Born in Orangeburg, South...

 He was interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis.

Biography

Bishop Patterson was an author as well as a minister. He attended Lemoyne-Owen College
LeMoyne-Owen College
-External links:*...

 in Memphis, Tennessee, Detroit Bible Institute and held an honorary doctorate from Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...

. Bishop Patterson was a contributing writer in the Spirit Filled Life Bible (KJV) which was edited by Dr. Jack Hayford. He was the author of the critically acclaimed book, “Here Comes The Judge” published by Whitaker House Publishing. He was the subject of feature articles in Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...

, Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...

, Jet
Jet (magazine)
Jet is an American weekly marketed toward African-American readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois...

and Charisma
Charisma (magazine)
Charisma is a monthly Christian magazine based in Lake Mary, Florida, aimed at Pentecostals and charismatics...

magazines.

Bishop Patterson was a man of compassion. He was a part of the 9 person strategy team which invited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis for the Sanitation Worker’s strike. His work as a champion civil rights earned him many awards. In 1993 Bishop Patterson opened the doors of Temple of Deliverance to the community and began serving free hot meals daily. The church fed multiple thousands of people during the two year period in which he led this humanitarian cause. In 2002 he charted COGIC Charities, Inc. Through this nonprofit corporation, the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. has assisted victims of natural disasters both foreign and domestic as well as other charitable efforts to uplift humanity.

Bishop Patterson was a pastor. Bishop Patterson founded and pastored Bountiful Blessings Temple of Deliverance in 1975 and thirty-two years later Temple of Deliverance Church Of God In Christ has more than 15,000 members on roll with more than 6,500 active members. In May 1999, Bishop Patterson and Temple of Deliverance Church Of God In Christ entered new Worship Center which cost approximately 13 million dollars and seats approximately 5000. In 2005 the congregation dedicated the G. E. Patterson Family Life and Youth Center which it built at a cost of more than 5 million dollars without securing a bank loan. Temple of Deliverance is one of the fastest growing congregations in the country. During his ministerial career, Bishop Patterson organized 7 churches across the country.

Bishop Patterson was an ultimate visionary. He was the founder/ president of Bountiful Blessings Ministries which is viewed nationwide and internationally on the B.E.T. and TBN
TBN
TBN may mean:* The Bot Net* The Barter Network* The Baseball Network* The Brewing Network* The Buffalo News* Toronto Bicycling Network* Total Base Number, an indicator for the alkalinity of lubricant oil* Trombone* Trinity Broadcasting Network...

 cable networks and a variety of local television stations throughout the country. He was the editor and publisher of the Bountiful Blessings Magazine with a distribution list of over 200,000 individuals. He was the president and general manager of WBBP Radio, a 5000-watt, full time gospel radio station. He was President of Podium Records, a record label whose first project, Bishop G. E. Patterson Presents Rance Allen and the Soul Winners' Conference Choir was nominated for a 1999 Grammy Award. Podium Records also released the hit CDs “Bishop G. E. Patterson and Congregation Singing the Old Time Way Volume One and Bishop G. E. Patterson and Congregation Singing the Old Time Way Volume Two.” Volume One was nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award, making Bishop Patterson personally a two time Grammy Nominee. Bishop Patterson was the 2006 Stellar Award winner for Best Traditional Male Vocalist. He was also nominated for a 2006 Soul Train Music Award.

On November 14, 2000, Bishop G. E. Patterson was elected as Presiding Bishop of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. He was reelected by acclamation in November 2004. In his office as the Presiding Bishop, he was the Chairman of the General Board and President of the Church Corporation. He was one of the most sought after speakers in the country.

His character, his leadership, and his powerful preaching extended his influence beyond the church he loved so dearly. His ministry on TV endeared him to saints and sinners across the nation and around the world. He was loved and respected by the leaders in the church world and people across America responded to his passionate preaching of Jesus Christ. God gave Bishop Patterson to the Church of God in Christ and then extended his influence far beyond the church.

Home-going Celebration

The 3 Day Home-going in Memphis, Tennessee, of Presiding Bishop Patterson was commensurate with his dignity and earned honor. Mourners started lining up early to find a seats but thousands had to participate from more than one venue in Memphis. The eulogy was delivered by Bishop Frank Anthone White at the local service. The eulogy was delivered by the Right Reverend Jerry Loran Maynard, Prelate of Tennessee Fourth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction at the jurisdictional service. The eulogy was delivered by The Most Reverend Charles E. Blake
Charles E. Blake
Bishop Charles Edward Blake Sr. serves as the Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., a 6 million-member Pentecostal-Holiness denomination. On March 21, 2007, he became the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., as a result of Presiding Bishop...

 at the International service. Several key leaders from the COGIC, Inc. made their contribution to this three day celebration of a warrior who will join multitudes that he brought from darkness into light. In addition to Bishop Blake, three addresses of comfort and well wishes were delivered to the COGIC by: The Honorable Alphonso Jackson
Alphonso Jackson
Alphonso Jackson served as the 13th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development . He was nominated by President George W. Bush on January 28, 2004 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate on March 31, 2004. On March 31, 2008, Jackson announced his resignation, effective April 18,...

, Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Official Representative of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

, William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America and Presiding Bishop James D. Leggett, General Superintendent of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church and Chairman of the Pentecostal World Fellowship, who had the following to say at this momentous occasion, " A warrior who has touched the lives of all of us so profoundly, a "GIANT" in our lifetime has gone home".

External links

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-P9o0GADMc
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