History
In 1944, Dr. Bebe Patten and her husband, C. Thomas Patten, conducted evangelistic services in the Bay Area that continued for nineteen weeks. Thousands of people filled the Oakland Auditorium Arena (now the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center) seeking purpose and meaning for their lives. Several hundred answered a call to active Christian service. Because of this response, Dr. Patten founded the Oakland Bible Institute as a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The school became a college in the early 1960’s, and later obtained accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (now WSCUC). From 2012 to 2020, Patten University was operated by UniversityNow, which expanded Patten’s online programs, and in 2020, Patten University again became owned, controlled, and operated by the Christian Evangelical Churches of America, Inc. (CECA), a 501(c)(3) corporation.
Recognized as a “Church of God Institution,” Patten University provides programs to further the ministry and the work of the Church of God in the West. This work builds on the significance and histories of other institutions as well – most importantly, the West Coast Christian College, which trained hundreds of men and women in Christ-centered leadership in Fresno, California until its close in 1992. Because of Patten’s deep partnership with the Church of God, California/Nevada and West Coast Christian College, the university now reflects the broader, merged histories of both Patten University and West Coast Christian College.
Throughout its history, the school has continued to fulfill the founding mission of preparing men and women for Christian ministries.
Recognized as a “Church of God Institution,” Patten University provides programs to further the ministry and the work of the Church of God in the West. This work builds on the significance and histories of other institutions as well – most importantly, the West Coast Christian College, which trained hundreds of men and women in Christ-centered leadership in Fresno, California until its close in 1992. Because of Patten’s deep partnership with the Church of God, California/Nevada and West Coast Christian College, the university now reflects the broader, merged histories of both Patten University and West Coast Christian College.
Throughout its history, the school has continued to fulfill the founding mission of preparing men and women for Christian ministries.