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Patterson launched the Love Clinic five years ago when she became fed up with a "community in shambles" she saw around her: a high divorce rate, teen pregnancies, "shacking up," a growing number of sexually transmitted diseases, and gang-related and domestic violence.

So a doctor of ministry—with a degree from Perkins School of Theology—became the Love Doctor. She fashioned the Love Clinic's youth leadership camps to "prepare young people to be strong in the Lord," enable them to have healthy relationships, build their confidence, help them "become leaders everywhere they go," and build their self-esteem.

While to some Christian leaders self-esteem sounds like self-reliant pop psychology, Patterson does not apologize for it. "Self-esteem to me means that you have received the love of Christ in your life, and that's what gives you the power to feel good about yourself," she says. "Then you transfer that love out to other people in healthy ways."

When helping these teens, one has to get specific, says Stephen G. Brown, associate pastor of youth ministry at Concord Missionary Baptist Church, whom Patterson recruited to lead workshops at the camps. What does Brown say to a boy whose single mother does drugs and has no respect for herself?

"First, I begin with establishing that child's self-worth and help him understand that just because his parent has a problem, it doesn't mean he has to," Brown says. "Then, we explore the gifts and vision that God has given him."

If a boy says he likes to draw, Brown brainstorms the types of jobs he could have with a talent for drawing: an artist, an architect, an engineer. "Then I take him through the process to get to that goal. I tell him he's got to finish high school and go to college," he says. "Then we try to figure out how he can do this. He must see that he can rise above the destructive environment and be all God wants him to be."

And what does Brown say to a young gang member?

"We start by defining what it means to be a good friend," Brown says. "Gangs have a strong pull with kids who come from broken homes and are looking for a source of identity and sense of belonging. So I tell him that gang members are not good friends because his membership in the gang will most likely lead to his destruction. If he's okay with it, then I tell him to stay in there. But if he's not okay with it, I tell him that he's got to make a decision to get out of the gang, and tell the gang leaders about it."

To the kids who are afraid for their lives, he recommends relocation. "By relocation, I mean starting to hang out in different places, finding friends elsewhere, and sometimes even finding a new school."

Patterson's no-nonsense pragmatism, energy, sharp intellect, aplomb, and optimism fueled by her faith energize the countless ministries into which she pours herself. She pastors St. Paul United Methodist Church in the city's arts district, hosts a popular radio show, has teamed up with other African American pastors to develop affordable housing, writes columns for the weekly Dallas Examiner, and leads Love Clinic seminars for kids, singles, and couples. Her gregarious personality has helped her get others excited about the Love Clinic.

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December 3 2001, Vol. 45, No. 15