1939: September 22, born to William Archie and
Mary Louise in the parsonage next door to the Church of God in Christ
in Humboldt, Tennessee, the youngest of six children.
1951: Saved at
age 11 during a revival conducted by Elder Johnny Brown at Holy
Temple Church of God in Christ in Memphis, Tennessee where his father
served as pastor.
1952: Moved with his family to Detroit, Michigan.
1956: Received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost at
age 16 at New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ where his father
served as pastor. The Lord called him into gospel ministry one month
later.
1957: Licensed by Bishop W. A Patterson and first
sermon preached from text Isaiah 59:9. His message was titled, “We
Wait for Light, But We Walk in Darkness.”
1958: Officially ordained to minister in the church
by Bishop J.S. Bailey.
1960: Privileged
to preach in the presence of the founder of the Church of God in
Christ, Bishop C.H. Mason, on two occasions.
1961: Returned to Memphis, Tennessee to serve
as Co-Pastor of Holy Temple Church of God in Christ and to attend
LeMoyne-Owen College.
1964: Leads Holy Temple in a three-day and night
fast and 30-day tent revival.
Church experiences significant growth after successful tent
revival and under the Lord’s guidance, the G.E. Patterson Evangelistic
Crusade and Sunday night evangelist hour is established.
1965: Became known as God’s young Apostle because
of his gift to lead many to Jesus Christ and gather large crowds.
1967: Marries Louise Dowdy Patterson in Memphis,
Tennessee.
Along with Sister Patterson establishes the name “Bountiful
Blessings” and continues the tent and crusade ministry.
Thousands are in attendance at the various auditoriums where
crusades are conducted and where tent meetings are set up.
Membership continues to grow under Apostle Patterson’s ministry
and he is led of the Lord to purchase the old Mount Vernon Baptist
Church building located at 547 Mississippi Boulevard and this
location becomes the downtown branch of the church.
1968: Distinguishes himself as an ardent fighter
for human rights and other civil conflicts and becomes a part of
the Civil Rights Movement, preaching fervently that love and peace
must prevail if America is to survive.
Involved in the strike of 1968 that centered on black sanitation
workers in Memphis.
Member of a nine-person strategy committee responsible for bringing
Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis for march in support of striking
sanitation workers.
Mr. Chairman I Nominate Jesus is recorded in Memphis during
a live broadcast of the G. E. Patterson Evangelistic Crusade hour.
In this particular infamous sermon that is appropriate for any
political season, Apostle Patterson takes a retrospective glance
at the political conventions of 1968 and nominates Jesus as the
only real remedy to cure the ills of our society.
1975: Resigns as
Co-Pastor of Holy Temple Church of God in Christ and becomes founder
of Bountiful Blessings Deliverance Church, Inc.
During first church service, 436 new members join from every
denomination and religious organization in Memphis.
Organizes eight independent churches under Bountiful Blessings
Deliverance Church, Inc.
1977: The church membership grows to over 2,000
and additional space is required. The church is remodeled to help
relieve overflow.
1978: New remodeled sanctuary opened to accommodate
phenomenal growth. Also, noted in Jet Magazine as the first church
built at a cost exceeding 1 million dollars by African Americans
in the Memphis, Tennessee.
1984: The 1,200
seat sanctuary, which was too small from day one, also consistently
overflows and requires an even larger building.
1986: Former Presiding Bishop of the Church of
God and Christ, Bishop J.O. Patterson who was also Apostle Patterson’s
uncle, expressed a desire for his nephew to return as an active
member of the Church of God in Christ.
Apostle Patterson accepts invitation to return to the Church
of God in Christ and changes name of church to Temple of Deliverance Cathedral of Bountiful Blessings Church of God in Christ.
During the November meeting the COGIC General Board chaired
by Bishop L.H. Ford voted 11 to 0 to allow Gilbert E. Patterson
to come back into the active ministry of the Church of God in
Christ as a Jurisdictional Bishop in Memphis, Tennessee.
1987: Wing added to Temple of Deliverance with
seating capacity of approximately 600 to accommodate growing congregation
and former presiding Bishop Chandler D. Owens dedicated the addition.
1988: Former Presiding Bishop J.O. Patterson executes
the action to officially install Bishop G.E. Patterson as a jurisdictional
bishop in Memphis during the Bishop’s Conference in Jacksonville,
Florida.
Organizes Tennessee 4th Jurisdiction
Bountiful Blessings Magazine
1990: Becomes first COGIC pastor with an international ministry
with services carried on satellite by Trinity Broadcast Network
(TBN) and Black Entertainment Network (BET).
1991: Becomes
president and general manager of WBBP AM 1480, a 5,000 watt full
gospel radio station in Memphis, Tennessee.
1992: Elected to the General Board of the Church
of God in Christ for first four-year term.
Purchases 250 Raines Road from Mississippi Boulevard Christian
church and opens the second location for Temple of Deliverance
Cathedral of Bountiful Blessings.
1993: Opened the doors of Temple of Deliverance
and served free hot meals daily for two years to multiple thousands
of people in need in the Mid-South.
1994: Served as host of the famous “Memphis Miracles”
that saw the transition of the Pentecostal Fellowship of North American
(PFNA) to the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America
(PCCNA).
1996: Becomes a candidate for the Presiding Bishop
of the Church of God in Christ and loses by one point to former
presiding Bishop Chandler D. Owens.
Re-Elected to the General Board for a second term after graciously
conceding the office of Presiding Bishop to Bishop C.D. Owens.
1998:
Memphis City Council approves changing the name of Calhoun
Avenue to G.E. Patterson Avenue.
Contributing writer in the Spirit Filled Life Bible (KJV),
which was edited by Dr. Jack Hayford.
Forms a record label, Podium Records, and records first gospel
music project.
Editor and publisher of Bountiful Blessings Magazine with circulation
of 100,000.
1999: Temple of Deliverance Cathedral of Bountiful
Blessings opens at 369 G. E. Patterson Avenue at a cost of $13 million.
Presents first project under new record label, Bishop G.E.
Patterson Presents Rance Allen and the Soul Winner’s Conference
Choir.
Nominated for a Grammy Award for Soul Winner’s Conference Choir
project.
2000: Elected as
the presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, becoming the
first to unseat a sitting presiding bishop in the denomination’s
history.
2001: Featured in the cover story of Charisma
Magazine in article titled, “God’s Man in Memphis.”
2002: Founder of COGIC Charities, Inc., the philanthropic
arm of the Church of God in Christ, and since its inception has
participated in the following humanitarian efforts:
Thousands of bottles of water furnished after the summer 2003
Storm in Memphis, Tennessee along with hot meals and bags of ice.
Provided funds to several organizations for relief efforts after
Hurricanes Charley, Rita and Katrina and the tsunami as well as
providing awards for educational scholarships and other
humanitarian
efforts.
Purchases a home for a family who were victims of the
Katrina
Hurricane.
First book titled, Here Comes the Judge, is released by Whitaker
House Publishers.
2004: Elected by acclamation to the office of
Presiding Bishop for second four-year term.
2005:
Offers prayer during President George Bush’s inaugural prayer
service at Washington Cathedral.
Designates January 30th as “We Care Sunday” in COGIC and spearheaded
the collection of an international offering of $425,000 for aid
in the tsunami relief effort.
Along with the congregation of Temple of Deliverance Cathedral
of Bountiful Blessings opened and dedicated the G.E. Patterson
Family Life and Youth Center, built at a cost of more than 5 million
dollars without securing a bank loan.
2006:
Nominated for Grammy Award for gospel project,
Singing the
Old Time Way.
Nominated for Soul Train Music Award
2007:
Receives Stellar Award for Traditional Male Vocalist of the
Year:
Bishop G. E. Patterson & Congregation – Singing the
Old Time Way – Volume 2.
United States Senate passes resolution sponsored by Senators
Obama, Levin, Kerry, Alexander and Corker, celebrating the life
of Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson.
Mississippi Legislature passes a Resolution sponsored by Senators
Jackson, Jordan, Thomas, Butler, Walls, Simmons, Williamson, Dawkins,
Harden, Frazier and Horhn celebrating the life of Bishop Gilbert
E. Patterson.
Bishop G.E. Patterson 1939-2007
His legacy will live on...
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