Sandra Pate is a multi-talented woman of grace and style who lives to represent the Kingdom of God on the earth. For the past 26 years, she serves the Lord alongside her husband, Bishop Dwight Pate, the Founder and Senior Pastor of Church Point Ministries in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The most common question she is asked is how did an international fashion model – a woman who has lived in such far flung and exciting places like Los Angeles, New York, Madrid, London, Milan and Auckland– wind up in Baton Rouge? She laughs and responds by saying, “Don’t tell me what God can’t do. Because of my testimony, I’m the one who believes Him for the impossible. And that’s why I live by the acronym for faith: Fantastic Adventures in Trusting Him.”
The short answer is marriage and this is the reason she is now pastoring, producing content for Christian media and mentoring the now generation of young adults. She lights up though as she provides more details. “Because I grew up in Detroit inspired by Motown, I wanted to be in the entertainment business.” A family trip at 12 years old, took her to CBS Television studios in Los Angeles. “After the riot in Detroit, I asked God to move my family to California. He answered and not only moved us there, but right across from CBS. Now my heart was set on being in television.”
At this point in the story, you need to know this: Sandra has transitioned from law student to fashion model to Hollywood television executive to the Bishop’s wife. “It wasn’t in my mind to model but when I when I knew it was God’s will for me, then I went along for the ride. The evidence? On the 4th day after arriving in New York, Sandra was hired as a house model for Oscar de la Renta.
She laughs, “No experience, too old, not that tall, pigeon-toed with crooked teeth and a scar on my nose, but God…He gave me favor and His grace both opened and shut doors. I still marvel that I worked for one of the top fashion houses in the world and after was able to both live and work in so many amazing places.” Yet it was when her father challenged her to settle down that she decided at 32 years old to head over to the Twentieth Century Fox Studios to see what she could find. “That same day, I was hired as a temporary assistant. A few weeks later, I was hired to be the Executive Assistant to the head of business & legal affairs. Then I was promoted to manager of current programming at Fox Broadcasting.”
A dream come true?! Sandra reflects on both the good and the not so good. Being a black woman in the executive arena in the 90’s was bittersweet. While I was recognized as a “Rising Star in Hollywood” in Black Enterprise magazine, and used my voice and position to get more Blacks hired in television, the pain I experienced of being overlooked, neglected and sometimes ignored was painful.” Yet the pain had purpose. Why? Because she worked on the most popular shows in Black America; “Martin,” “Living Single” and the first black drama with a Black and Latino lead, “New York Undercover” just to name a few.
Today she understands more of the ways of God. “I give Him all the glory for developing my mind to think independently of the system (oh, we have to mention that she has attended seven colleges and universities, including the University of Pennsylvania), and to wait on Him. Only He could turn the pain of representing Black culture in the boardroom to those who did not truly care. It was a weight and only He could give me the discernment to recommend for hire exceptional talent that still has a presence on tv screens around the world.”
It's time to get back to the marriage. How did she meet Bishop Dwight Pate? “Well, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to quit Fox Broadcasting. I believed in my heart there was more for my life.” Without hesitation, she quit and the last week of her job, happened to be the start of revival at her church, West Angeles Church of God in Christ. Bishop Charles Blake extended the invitation to Bishop Pate to preach at a Sunday service. It turned into the man of God preaching noon and night for two weeks – 28 services in a row!
“During one of the noonday services, an elder in the church came to me and told me she believed that Dwight Pate was my husband.” On the last night of the revival, Bishop Pate told the church to believe God for the impossible and watch it come to pass. I asked God for him.” And two years later, they happened to meet at the NAACP Image Awards. Six days from that day, he asked Sandra to marry him!
“What could I say but yes” and now they are celebrating 26 years of marriage and parenting together three children and three grandchildren in addition to spiritually parenting all over the world. “I like to teach that when it comes to the things of God, it is not what you say yes to, but what you say no to that matters. In what looked to be a world of glamour and celebrity, there were many trials and temptations. I learned to stand on Proverbs 3:5-6 and to remember that only the things done for the Lord Jesus Christ and being led by His Holy Spirit, will last in eternity”
“Also, it is important to be ready to move to what’s next. For me, it is building the Church Point Ministries Training Center for Children in Baton Rouge and then an artist’s retreat in Greensboro, Alabama. “I also asked God to give to me the land where my ancestors were enslaved. I live to tell that story because I now own it.”
Only God can use a measure of faith to turn pain into purpose and to accomplish so much in the life of one woman of God who loves His people and lives to serve Him with honor and with excellence and with a touch of class and style.
