Bio


Jim & Dee Patton are an amazing treasure of multi-faceted, highly gifted ministry. They are artists, authors, revivalists and servants. They have served Winkie in Ministry of Helps (MOH) for 22 years and have known him since the early 1970’s.

They first met Winkie while they worked as urban missionaries with the Agape Force. Through his teaching, reading his books and articles, they were trained for and launched into ministry. They developed a loose, but lasting mentoring relationship that has spanned more than 40 years.

In 1994, Jim & Dee moved from Southern California to East Texas with a heart to serve Winkie and thus, Ministry of Helps (legally aka Gates of Life, Inc.) was born. Jim, the current President and Dee, the Secretary of MOH, are still faithfully serving Winkie by being available to help the Pratney’s in all aspects of life, ministry and friendship through prayer and meeting practical needs.

They provide administrative support in the US, manage websites and social networking to promote awareness of Winkie and his work. They facilitate ministry partnerships with those who have similar callings and a strong desire to help Winkie. In 2016 MOH became the US distributor for the Revival Study Bible, for which Winkie was one of three General Editors.

In addition, Jim & Dee are also singer/songwriters who began their musical career together as urban missionaries during the Jesus Movement. In the 70’s and early 80’s, Jim and Dee toured extensively and knew or worked with Jesus Movement greats like Keith Green, Second Chapter of Acts, Larry Norman, Silverwind, and Andre Crouch. They collaborated as song-writers and sang with Barry McGuire and have songs on several of his Christian albums as well as gold and platinum albums for songs on Candle’s children’s albums “Music Machine,” and “Bullfrogs & Butterflies,” as well as songs on the memorable Agapeland and Nathaniel the Grublet albums.

They call our hearts to worship and build us up in the faith with their latest release, “The Psalm 33 Suite.” Jim & Dee are members of the vocal group, Bongo and the Point. (www.bongoandthepoint.com). As a writing team, their most recent writing/recording project, a rock opera called "The Selfish Giant" (based on a story by Oscar Wilde), is available on amazon.com, CD Baby, iTunes and Digitation.

They write books, stories, articles and blogs as well as teach songwriting, revival theology, and the creative process. They mentor young ministers, musicians and missionaries and continue in full-time ministry.

Jim & Dee have been married for 42 years and have 3 talented, artistic and musical daughters and 6 wonderful grand-children.