Biographical Sketch

Reverend Dr. Floyd Lee Patterson, Sr., was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 8, 1953.   He is the second of six children born to Robert and Zula Patterson.  Pastor Patterson has spent his entire life in the Baptist Church working wherever the Lord placed him.  His early Christian experience took place at St. Hazel Baptist Church, pastored by his grandfather, Reverend John J. Stovall.  There, Pastor Patterson was active in the Sunday School, the choir and served as a Junior Deacon.  It was at St. Hazel that he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

In May 1972, Reverend Patterson graduated from Northern High School in Baltimore, Maryland.  That same year, he joined the Mt. Calvary Freewill Baptist Church, under the direction of its newly elected pastor, Robert E. Farrow.  On January 31, 1973, he enlisted into the United States Navy in Great Lakes, Illinois.  He served his active duty at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital.  Reverend Patterson received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Navy in 1978.

Returning home from active duty, Reverend Patterson found he had a determined mind to totally commit his will and way unto the Lord.  With a hunger and thirst for the Word of God, he began attending Wednesday night Bible Study classes at Mt. Calvary.  In 1976, he was elected to its Trustee Board and, in that same year, he was ordained as a Deacon of the church.  With the Lord working mightily in his life, he went on to become Chairman of the Deacon Board.

Reverend Patterson’s hunger for the Word of God became so intense that he decided to forfeit two years of study at the Community College of Baltimore to enroll in the Baltimore School of the Bible.  After four years, he graduated in June 1987.  Still with that hungry desire and love for the Word, he enrolled in the Philadelphia Bible Institute and College, where he received a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Divinity. 

In 1984, Reverend Patterson accepted the call to Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He was licensed and ordained by the Northeast Freewill Baptist Conference under the leadership of Bishop Austin Barnes.  While in the Conference, he served in the Christian Education Department as Trustee, Vice President and President.

On February 14, 1993, Reverend Patterson accepted the call to the Greater St. Paul Baptist Church in Washington, DC, as its Pastor.  Reverend Patterson’s vision is to “Perfect the Saints for the work of the Ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12).”  In keeping with his vision, during his seven years as Pastor, he has accomplished the following: consistently held weekly Bible Study, paid off the mortgage on the church house, ordained two new Deacons and installed two new Deaconesses.  He has licensed the first female minister, and now the church has three women on the ministerial staff.

In addition, Reverend Patterson established a Christian Education Ministry and Homeless Ministry (which takes food and clothing to homeless people).  He also reformatted the morning service to include Love Fellowship.

Pastor Patterson has three sons and is married to the former Virginia Woolford.