G.E. Patterson redefined role as COGIC's Presiding Bishop

As Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop G.E. Patterson oversaw a global media empire that included television, radio, Internet and publishing divisions, and he was instrumental in swelling the denomination's ranks to more than 6.5 million members in 58 countries.

Bishop Patterson passed of heart failure at Methodist University Hospital after battling prostate cancer. He was 67.

Dr. David Hall, pastor of Temple COGIC, gave the keynote address at Bishop Patterson's inauguration in 2000 and knew him for more than a quarter-century. "He was so big, yet so human and accessible," Hall said. "He was world-renowned for his preaching, but he had such a soft touch and a loving heart for the ordinary man."

Lauded as a visionary, Bishop Patterson's influence extended beyond his Memphis pulpit. His Bountiful Blessings Ministries television program was broadcast worldwide, he served as president of gospel radio station WBBP and as president of Podium Records.

But those who knew him best said Bishop Patterson's greatest attribute was his down-to-earth personality and the ability to make everyone he came in contact with feel special. "I've lost not only a friend, but my best friend," said Bishop Jerry Maynard, chief operating officer for the denomination. "It's like losing a part of one's self."

Bishop Patterson is credited with expanding the denomination's appeal by focusing on traditional, Biblical teachings. He also redefined the role of presiding bishop, which he once said had become mired in bureaucracy and isolation far above the people it was created to serve. In an attempt to be more accessible, in 2002 Bishop Patterson returned to founder Mason's practice of holding Bible studies during the annual convocation and held them every year during his time as chief apostle. "It is a return to the older days, a time of Biblical preaching and prayer," Bishop Patterson said in an interview with The Commercial Appeal in November 2003. "Some of the membership felt it was new, but to me it was simply a matter of worshiping as I did when I was a boy."

In 2005, Bishop Patterson acknowledged he was battling prostate cancer. At the 99th annual COGIC Holy Convocation last November, he said he'd considered vacating the post, but decided against the idea. "I asked the General Board to have a special election in April to elect an able-bodied man, but I was shouted down," Bishop Patterson said.

Rather than squabbling about denominational politics, Bishop Patterson said COGIC's focus should be on saving souls and building up the church. And he emphasized at the time that he was ready to do his part.

"If my body being afflicted can get us back to where God wants us to be, then I'm willing to suffer," he said.

Gilbert Earl Patterson was born Sept. 22, 1939, in Humboldt, Tenn., to Bishop W.A. and Mrs. Mary Patterson. He grew up in Memphis before moving to Detroit with his family in 1952. The young Patterson preached his first sermon at 17 and was ordained as a COGIC elder by Bishop J.S. Bailey in Detroit in 1958. In December of 1961, he returned to Memphis to become co-pastor with his father at Holy Temple COGIC in Memphis.

With a price tag of $1.2 million, Temple of Deliverance – Bountiful Blessings, was the city's first church built by black workers that cost more than a million dollars. Under Bishop Patterson's leadership, Temple of Deliverance COGIC moved in 1999 to a $13 million campus that featured a 5,000-seat worship center. By 2007, the church -- located at 369 G.E. Patterson -- had grown to more than 13,000 members.

Bishop Patterson is survived by his lovely wife, Louise.

Sunrise 9-22-1939 Sunset 3-20-2007
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