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Mich. Baptists elect Tim Patterson as new exec.
Jonathan Guenther, Baptist State Convention of Michigan
May 12, 2015
3 MIN READ TIME

Mich. Baptists elect Tim Patterson as new exec.

Mich. Baptists elect Tim Patterson as new exec.
Jonathan Guenther, Baptist State Convention of Michigan
May 12, 2015

Tim Patterson, a national mobilizer for the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and former Florida pastor, has been elected executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM).

With a 112-0 vote, the BSCM elected Patterson during a special called meeting of the convention May 9 at Cedar Street Church in Holt, Mich.

Patterson, a former NAMB trustee chair who served on the search committee that recommended Kevin Ezell as president, has pastored churches in Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, most recently serving at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., from 2006-14. He began work as a NAMB mobilizer in December.

5-12-15patterson.jpgTim and Sabrina Patterson

Patterson assumed his new role with Michigan Baptists effective immediately, working from his home in Florida, and is scheduled to be on the field June 1.

Patterson “loves pastors and the local church,” BSCM President Chuck Turner said. “He feels a deep calling to be in Michigan [and] … values all churches regardless of size.”

In the week leading up to his election, Patterson traveled across Michigan, attending seven regional meetings during a four-day period. Those meetings allowed Michigan Baptists to meet him, hear his vision and ask questions before the election.

“The search process was very thorough, and I think they did a great job with it,” Patterson said. “I was very pleased that we held those meetings before the [election]. We had some great conversations and established some great friendships.”

Patterson holds an undergraduate degree from Criswell College in Dallas and a master of divinity from the Southern Baptist School for Biblical Studies in Jacksonville, Fla. He studied at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Patterson has served as president of the Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference, a member of the Florida Baptist Convention’s state board of missions and a trustee at the Baptist College of Florida.

He succeeds Bobby Gilstrap, BSCM executive director from 2010-14, who now leads Dynamic Church Ministries, a ministry based in the Detroit area that provides workshops and resources in evangelism, church planting missions and congregational health.

The BSCM assembled a search committee in September 2014 and with assistance from Stephen Davis, NAMB’s vice president for the northeast and south regions of the U.S., developed an executive director profile with which they processed candidates.

“Our team represented every region of our state and worked very well together,” search committee chairman Wayne Parker said. “I believe that everyone on our team would say we saw God’s hand at work leading us to the decision to ask Bro. Patterson to come to Michigan.”

Davis said Patterson “knows how to administrate staff, surround himself with good leaders and will provide outstanding vision for Michigan Baptists. Whether it is planting new churches, helping strengthen churches or challenging pastors across the state in evangelism, you will find him to be focused, having the ability to carry out the vision to reach Michigan with the gospel and most of all a great friend to every pastor.”

Patterson has been married to his wife Sabrina for 40 years. They have two sons and five grandchildren.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Jonathan Guenther is state communications missionary for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. David Roach, chief national correspondent for Baptist Press, contributed to this report.)