Gilbert E. Patterson
Gilbert E. Patterson | |
|---|---|
| Church | Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ |
| In office | 1975–2007 (Pastor)
1986–2007 (Bishop) 1988-2001 (Jurisdictional Bishop) 1992-2007 (General Board) 2000–2007 (Presiding Bishop) |
| Predecessor | Bishop Chandler D. Owens |
| Successor | Charles Edward Blake, Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 22, 1939 Humboldt, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 20, 2007 (aged 67) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Spouse | Louise Dowdy Patterson (January 27, 1938 – November 20, 2022) |
| Occupation | Presiding Bishop, Church of God in Christ, Pastor, Televangelist, Singer |
Gilbert Earl Patterson (September 22, 1939 – March 20, 2007) was an American Holiness Pentecostal leader and pastor. He served as the founding pastor of the Temple of Deliverance COGIC Cathedral of Bountiful Blessings, one of the largest COGIC churches in the Eastern United States, from 1975 to 2007. He also served as the Presiding Bishop the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), a 6 million-member Holiness Pentecostal denomination from 2000 to 2007.
Patterson was the second youngest person ever elected Presiding Bishop of COGIC at the age of 60 in 2000, second to Bishop J. O. Patterson Sr., who was elected at 56 in 1968. Patterson was famously known across many Christian denominations for being an educated Pentecostal-Charismatic preacher and theologian, and known for his eloquent and musically charismatic preaching style, which was often featured on his church's television broadcasts through BET and the Word Network.
On March 28, 2007, the United States Senate passed a resolution celebrating the life of Patterson. The sponsors were Senators Barack Obama, Carl Levin, John Kerry, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker.