Bishop G.E. Patterson (In Memorial) Poem by Luke Easter

Where are you going in such a hurry?
You’ve already missed most of the game,
Step aside my brother cause it’s not basketball,
Bishop G.E. Patterson is his name.

Gathering my stuff while checking my watch,
Later gators, down the steps, boom, out the door,
Finally realized I couldn’t make it safely in 20 minutes,
Well, that’s OK because he comes on again at four.

Reading the paper 3/22/2007 something caught my eye,
A section of the Cleveland Plain Dealer I usually glance bye,
G.E. Patterson, head of Church of God in Christ,
On Tuesday the old nemesis heart failure claimed his life.

A family tradition by a list of who’s who, he earnestly carried on,
Not just in the pulpit, soulfully felt when belting out a religious song,
Forty years in service to Christ Jesus, was really not that long,
Like the mighty wings of eagles his preaching was graceful yet strong.

Bountiful Blessings, not the magazine, but those he gave,
With spirit filled sermons, countless souls were saved,
A Stellar Gospel Award, was there anything he couldn’t do?
Received in January for “Singing The Old Time Way Volume 2.”

The year 1957 in the Motown city of Hitsville, AKA Detroit,
Ordained as a church elder our Heavenly Father did anoint,
Be strong Mrs. Louise Patterson, his loving wife of 35 years,
For your lovely face is not the only one adorned with tears.

Let that water of sadness last no more than one or two days,
At Calvary Jesus bore our griefs as He took that stress away,
This is way to early; your husband had so much left in his store,
Believe & understand our Savior is now providing him with more.

Well, actually not always, I can see it going something like this,
'No, no, no Jesus, let me show You again preaching is not hit or miss',
Not just Ohio to Tennessee but encompassing the whole wide world,
Truly will you be a missed one Bishop Patterson, Gilbert Earl.