Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Rev. Patterson

West Virginia Wesleyan College alumnus Rev. J. Douglas Patterson will deliver the message “Bones, Breath and Beyond” as the Baccalaureate message beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, May 4, in Wesley Chapel.

Rev. Patterson is the senior minister of Smithfield United Church of Christ, located in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. He is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Western Pennsylvania Conference, and holds dual standing in the United Church of Christ, Penn West Conference.  In addition to holding a bachelor of arts degree from Wesleyan, Rev. Patterson is also a graduate of the Wesley Theological Seminary.

Serving parishes in Delaware and Pennsylvania, Rev. Patterson also has held positions as director of Outreach Ministries for Guideposts, Inc., and director of the School of Practical Christianity, addressing the spiritual and professional needs of clergy from every denomination.

Rev. Patterson is actively involved in the issues surrounding homelessness and underserved populations.  In May 2011, he traveled to Russia, in association with Orphan’s Tree International, to learn more about the plight of young people raised in orphanages.

Also, Rev. Patterson placed second in his division at the 2011 ADAU National Powerlifting Championships, and his wife, Ramona, defended her championship title there for the fourth time.

One of his three children, daughter Brooke B. Patterson, is a 2002 Wesleyan graduate.

After Baccalaureate, the Wesleyan Alumni Association will host an ice cream social at 9 p.m. at the Chapel Campus Green.

Wesleyan’s Commencement begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Rockefeller Physical Education Building.