James Oglethorpe Patterson Jr. (28 May 1935 – 25 June 2011) was a

Holiness Pentecostal Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...

minister in the Church of God in Christ and a former Mayor of

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, the first African-American to hold the office.

Biography

Patterson was born in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, the son of the first international Presiding

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), J. O. Patterson Sr. (1912–1989) and Deborah Mason Patterson (1914–1985). He was the grandson of COGIC founder Bishop

Charles Harrison Mason Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Sr. (September 8, 1866 – November 17, 1961) was an American Holiness–Pentecostal pastor and minister. He was the founder and first Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, based in Memphis, Tennessee. It d ...

(1864–1961) and cousin of the late Presiding Bishop of COGIC

Gilbert E. Patterson Gilbert Earl Patterson (September 22, 1939 – March 20, 2007) was an American Holiness Pentecostal leader and Pastor and the Presiding Bishop Prelate (Christianity), minister who served as the National Presiding Bishop and Founder of the Bountif ...

(1939–2007). He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Fisk University in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

in 1958, a Master of Religion Degree in 1985 from

Memphis Theological Seminary Memphis Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Although it is affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, it accepts and trains ministerial candidates from other denomi ...

, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree in 1963 from

DePaul University DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...

, Chicago, Il. He practiced law and then became active in state and local political life as a State Representative for one term, a State Senator for two terms, a Memphis City Councilman for five terms and interim Mayor of Memphis (for 20 days total) in 1982, following the resignation of

J. Wyeth Chandler J. Wyeth Chandler (February 21, 1930 – November 11, 2004) served as mayor of Memphis, Tennessee from 1972 to 1982. He was the adopted son of former Memphis mayor and U.S. Representative Walter Chandler. Chandler succeeded the controversial H ...

; after the statutory 20 days, he was succeeded by Wallace Madewell for a short period. (The next regularly-elected mayor was

Richard Hackett Richard Cecil "Dick" Hackett (born July 21, 1949) was mayor of the city of Memphis, Tennessee from 1982 to 1991. He also served as Shelby County (Tennessee) Clerk from 1978 to 1982. At the time that he took office as mayor, he was 33 years old ...

). He also served as a delegate to the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

Constitutional Convention and the Democratic National Convention in 1972, 1976 and 1980. He was elevated and ceremonially consecrated by his father to the Bishopric in November 1985. He served as the Pastor of the Pentecostal Temple Church Of God In Christ in Memphis, Tennessee a congregation of 2,500 active members, the Jurisdictional Prelate of the denomination's 1st Ecclesiastical Headquarters Jurisdiction of Tennessee and the COGIC, Inc. Chairman of the General Assembly. Bishop Patterson served as the President of J. O. Patterson Mortuary, Inc., a contributing writer for the Official COGIC Manual, a member of the COGIC Legal Counsel, a member of the Board of Directors of the C. H. Mason Foundation, a developer of many inner-city and urban initiatives. He continued the J. O. Patterson crusade, broadcast and

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...

ministries established by his father. As Chairman of the General Assembly, Patterson supervised all sessions of the supreme legislative and judicial authority of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., the only entity of the church that has the power to express the doctrines and creeds of the church. On Saturday, June 25, 2011, Bishop Patterson died of

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

at the age of 76. He died at a local hospital at 4:27 pm. His funeral was held on July 1, 2011 at the Mason Temple Church of God in Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. Bishop Charles E. Blake officiated over the funeral.Bishop J. O. Patterson Jr. blazed trails in religion as well as politics » The Commercial Appeal
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References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, J. O. Jr. Mayors of Memphis, Tennessee American bishops Fisk University alumni Members of the Church of God in Christ Memphis Theological Seminary alumni DePaul University alumni Church of God in Christ pastors Tennessee city council members Tennessee state senators Members of the Tennessee House of Representatives Politicians from Memphis, Tennessee 1935 births 2011 deaths Deaths from kidney failure Pentecostals from Tennessee African-American mayors in Tennessee