Our Story & Our Heart
We've witnessed transformation in pastors, elders, and business professionals through spiritual parenting — offering experience, perspective, and stability in the midst of uncertainty.
Our Mission
Our mission is to spiritually parent Christian leaders, encouraging them to abide in Christ so they may shape their lives and ministry into a lifelong legacy of faithfulness.
Meet Your Mentors
Billy Patterson
With over 37 years of ministry experience, Billy walks alongside leaders, offering the steady presence and wisdom of a spiritual father. His passion is to see pastors and their families thrive, not just survive, in their calling.
Kelly Patterson
Kelly brings a vital perspective on the health of the entire ministry family. She provides support for spouses, shapes the ministry's communications, and ensures that every aspect of Abiding Partners reflects the heart of hospitality and genuine care.
"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel."1 Corinthians 4:15
Our Story
For Billy and Kelly Patterson, ministry has never been just a profession; it is a lifelong journey of following God's call wherever it leads. Meeting as they trained for the mission field, their shared passion for the Gospel first took them to Vanderbilt University, where they served as campus pastors. As the Iron Curtain fell, they answered the call to global missions, moving to St. Petersburg, Russia, and later leading the first long-term Cru team to Kyrgyzstan.
Their journey of faithfulness has spanned the globe and the organizational spectrum. From pastoring at The People's Church in Franklin, TN, and serving on the Executive Team of Cru in Orlando, to planting seeds of faith in Rome, Italy, Billy and Kelly have navigated the complexities of ministry leadership at every level. However, it was during their time pastoring with Trinity Grace Churches in New York City that their ultimate calling crystallized: to look beyond the strategy and care for the soul of the leader.
After a season of caring for aging parents and pastoring in Oklahoma, and with their four sons, Will, Caleb, Coleman, and Wesley, now grown, Billy and Kelly are fully devoted to Abiding Partners. They bring decades of cross-cultural, executive, and pastoral wisdom to their mission of spiritually parenting Christian leaders, encouraging them to abide in Christ so they may shape their lives and ministry into a lifelong legacy of faithfulness.
Our Guiding Principles
Abiding in Christ First
We believe sustainable ministry flows from a leader's personal relationship with Jesus. Our first priority is not strategy or performance, but helping leaders cultivate their own deep, abiding connection with Christ.
The Power of Presence
Our ministry is relational, not transactional. We commit to walking with leaders for the long haul, offering the kind of consistent, patient, and prayerful presence that builds deep trust and fosters real transformation.
Generational Faithfulness
Our goal is to help leaders build healthy ministries and families that last. We focus on developing sustainable rhythms, strong character, and a legacy of faithfulness that will impact generations to come.