Posted: 6/27/03
Paige Patterson profile
Ordained to the ministry at age 16 by First Baptist Church of Beaumont.
His father, T.A. Patterson, was executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas from 1961 to 1973.
He earned the bachelor of arts degree from Hardin-Simmons University, the master of theology degree and doctor of theology degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Paige Patterson |
Married to Dorothy Kelley Patterson, professor of women's studies at Southeastern Seminary. Mrs. Patterson is the sister of Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Seminary.
See related articles: Patterson elected unanimously to lead Southwestern |
Paige Patterson has served as pastor of churches in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.
The Pattersons have traveled in 70 countries and have developed a significant collection of biblical artifacts. Mrs. Patterson's bio sheet reports that she has “met with Pope John Paul in his private apartment in the Vatican; … had coffee with former Israeli Prime Minister Menachen Begin in his Knesset office; … (and) been the guest of Yaser Arafat at a midnight banquet in Sadam Hussein's palace guest house in Baghdad.”
Patterson served as president of Criswell Center for Biblical Studies (now Criswell College) in Dallas from 1975 to 1992.
Patterson gained national prominence when in 1979 he and Paul Pressler launched an orchestrated effort to change the leadership and direction of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In 1992, he became president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In 1998 and again in 1999, the SBC elected Patterson president of the convention.
The Pattersons are parents of two adult children, a son, Armour, and his wife, Rachel, who live in Arizona; a daughter, Carmen, and her husband, Mark Howell, who is pastor of First Baptist Church of Little Rock, Ark.
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