New evidence has emerged that Paige and Dorothy Patterson — far from being content to have nearly destroyed Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary during their sixteen year tenure — are yet determined to siphon off institutional resources to feather their own proverbial nest.
With a strong assist, of course, from the Colter-Candi Cabal.
Yesterday, SWBTS President Adam Greenway disclosed to seminary trustees certain electronic correspondence that was inadvertently sent by a Patterson operative to an old seminary email address for the Behatted One.
As it turns out, as recently as May 2019, Dorothy Patterson has been actively coaching seminary donors how to demand the return of large contributions for the seminary’s endowment, ostensibly to re-direct those gifts to the Pattersons’ preferred non-profit organizations.
We could say more about the email, but suffice it to say that Mr. Colter seems to have accidentally sent an email to dpatterson@swbts.edu that included draft language to share with SWBTS donor and longtime Patterson ally, James Merritt of South Carolina. Copies of the email and other relevant materials have been distributed to seminary trustees this week.
The Pattersons have apparently denied any effort to poach seminary donors or disparage seminary faculty. We’ll let our readers decide.
The Baptist Blogger obtained a copy of the email that was shared among all seminary trustees, and we gladly post it here.
The Baptist Blogger 
You think Colter may want to remove Southwestern from her list of clients? https://www.colterco.com
I was passing through Scarborough Hall a handful of years ago on my way to concert where I noticed a banner celebrating the various endowed chairs at SWBTS. Having known both some recipients and benefactors through the years, I stopped to reminisce. In a larger font than any of the others and occupying the most prominent position was the chair in question.
Have the Pattersons been confronted?
Baptist Blogger,
It may serve your purposes to get the whole story first, some missing info such as Patterson and family were major donors on said chair, their money in conjunction with Merritt’s was then handled by Merritt in giving first to SEBTS and then moved to SWBTS at some point. So it makes sense they would reach out to him as he handled the giving of their money. Now where they decide to move said chair isn’t important, as donors they have the right to remove and ask for their money back, especially since seminary is not looking to fill said chair, and not using funds in manner that they were designated for. To imply they are syphoning seminary money is at the very least misleading if not completely a falsehood.
Doris Kelley was a good woman.
Might it be that the move was merely one of revenge?
The self-serving behavior of the Pattersons (and other so-called ministers whose minds are always fixed on their own fame and material gain) demonstrate a profound lack of faith and trust in God to provide for their needs. They bely their own teachings! Their behavior proves the truth of God’s holy word:
“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8
All those faithful givers to the Cooperative Program have been deceived by the Pattersons, many leaders in the SBC, the IMB, and others who seek after wealth for themselves or refuse to cast out the sinner (abusers). It is endemic in the SBC at every level from seminarians to preachers to all employed in the “business” of the SBC. Too many worry and lie and compromise their holiness to “keep their jobs”. Where is the faith in God’s provision that they preach? They have become worldly and the SBC has become a worldly corporation full of self-serving corrupt politics.
It is no surprise that many people are leaving the SBC and even other religious institutions. Many are forming house churches and smaller communities of Christians who commit to truly live out Jesus’ teachings to love and serve one another and share His living message with others one on one.
The writing is on the proverbial wall, especially now, with technological advances, Christians do not need seminary trained men to interpret the scriptures to them. With access to the same tools that preachers use (i.e. original language lexicons, many excellent translation tools online) Christians can depend upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them in living a Jesus-honoring holy life and that includes sharing His love with others. Technology and the faithless corruption of men (and women, Dorothy) in leadership are bringing about the demise of brick and mortar church enterprises. They simply are not needed to live the Christian life. This is what more and more Christian people believe, especially the younger generations.
The Pattersons and their ilk have played a very significant public role in shaming the cause of Jesus Christ and the work of faithful Baptists. God will judge in His way and time.
Ours is to be faithful to Jesus as he leads us.
“ It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8
The Patterson’s self-serving behavior is disturbing in several ways: 1). It belies their own teaching, as Christians. that God will provide their needs as they serve in Jesus work.
2). It demonstrates a continued corrupt self-serving desire for wealth and material goods and a greater concern about their own “name” than that of Jesus Christ.
3). The continued prideful refusal to admit culpability and any repentance for the many proven wrongs committed by them is shameful to the cause of Christ.
It is this self-serving and corrupt behavior by many in the leadership of many entities in the SBC that is driving many believers to leave the SBC and even brick and mortar church enterprises.
More and more Jesus followers are forming small house churches with other committed Christians desiring to live out Jesus’ teachings. Technology allows access to the same resources that many preachers use for scripture study, language translation, and commentaries. Many feel the Holy Spirit indwelling them will guide them in their study of scripture and living the Christian life. That is what Jesus taught in John 14:26.
One has less and less reasonable arguments against this practice. They are not forsaking the “assembling together”, as Paul taught. Indeed, small house churches were the earliest forms of Christian worship gatherings.
Are we seeing the end of the age of the SBC and large brick and mortar church “businesses” employing multiple ministers? The corruption of leaders like the Pattersons and others certainly is a cause of grief for God and Christians and contributes to the lack of trust in church entities.