The Church of God in Christ Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson Jr. died on Saturday.
Patterson was born in Memphis, Tenn., on May 28, 1935, to the late President Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop J.O. Patterson, Sr. and Deborah M. Patterson. He was the grandson of the COGIC founder Bishop Charles Harrison Mason.
Known as both a churchman and a statesman, Patterson served as chairman of the General Assembly, the legislative body of the church for nearly 11 years. As chairman of the General Assembly, Patterson supervised all sessions of the legislative authority of COGIC.
“Bishop J.O. Patterson was a wise and faithful chairman who served in one of the highest offices of the Church of God in Christ,” says Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake. “The General Assembly of the church is the doctrine-expressing body of the church, and Bishop Patterson led that entity effectively and with vision. He will be greatly missed. We offer our sincere prayers to his wife, family and the Pentecostal Temple congregation.”
Known for his quick wit and incredible sense of humor, Patterson practiced law in Memphis. He became active in state and local political life as a state representative for one term, state senator for two terms, Memphis city councilman for five terms and as interim mayor of Memphis in 1982.
The local home going celebration is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. The jurisdictional home going celebration will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. Both services will be at the Pentecostal Temple Institutional Church Of God In Christ Memphis. The National Home going Celebration will be on Friday at 11 a.m. at Mason Temple in Memphis.
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