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Pat was born in Mobile, Alabama...into the home of an alcoholic father. His life is a story of God’s grace. A high school  dropout and an ex-Marine, he met his wife, Jan, at a dance hall, honky-tonk, in south Phoenix, in 1961. A year and a half later, he was thrown in jail by his mother-in-law. Jerry Jenkins, presently co-writer of the Left Behind series, described Pat’s life in those days as that of “a boozer and a loser”.
 After being released from jail, Pat and Jan attended a church in Phoenix where they heard the Gospel. After three Sundays, they both committed their lives to Jesus Christ. Eighteen months later, Pat was enrolled at Fort Wayne  Bible College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, studying to become a pastor. It took six years of studying and raising a family, but in May of 1969 Pat graduated and moved to Phoenix to pastor what was then called the Northwest Missionary Church. The church had been in existence for about fifteen years and had a Sunday morning attendance of approximately eighty-six people.
 Pat remained pastor of the church for eighteen years, during which the church sold their present property, bought a new parcel of land and moved into a new facility. When Pat resigned in 1987, the church had grown to nearly 4,000 attending the Sunday morning services and a Christian school had been established which today is one of the largest Christian schools in the southwestern United States. Over the years, Pat had opportunity to preach in numerous countries around the world and on radio and television programs to millions. One magazine article called the church “The Miracle Church of Phoenix.”
In 1974, Pat was invited to speak throughout South Korea over a period of thirty days. He was to travel with his friend, Won Yon Koh, the president of the International Missionary Advance. While waiting for their flight at Los Angeles International Airport on August 6th, Pat was blown twenty-nine feet by a terrorist bomb. His right leg was blown off at mid-thigh and his left leg sustained various damage. In all, three people were killed and thirty-three were injured in the blast
. Pat was the closest person to the bomb that lived. The ticket agent to whom Pat was speaking was killed, the man next to Pat was killed, and another person was blown up so badly that he was unidentifiable. Rev. Koh was uninjured in the blast. Though he was given up for dead at the airport, God graciously kept him alive. The hospital spokesman for the Hawthorne Community Hospital was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying that Pat’s recovery was “miraculous”.
The man who planted the bomb in the airport called himself “The alphabet bomber”. He was eventually captured and chose to defend himself and called Pat as a witness in his trial. Pat and six-hundred others prayed the night before he went to L.A. for the trial. They prayed that Pat would be given an opportunity to be a witness for Christ while on the witness stand. God miraculously answered that prayer!
The next day, May 8, 1980, six years after the explosion, Pat sat on the witness  stand and was drilled by the bomber, Muharem Kurbegovic. At one point, Kurbegovic asked Pat, “Would a God of love allow for his son to be nailed to the cross and for people to be blown up at the airport? Doesn’t he know a better way?” The LA Times reported Pat’s response to that question, “Citing chapter and verse from the Bible, Shaughnessy replied: “He did demonstrate the best way (to show His love) in sending His Son to accept the sins of the world...I don’t think God makes mistakes: All things work together for good for those who believe in Jesus Christ...” Pat also took the opportunity to tell Kurbegovic that Christ had died for him, as well. The next day, the L.A. Times ran the story with his picture and one of Kurbegovic. The headline read: “Minister, Bomber Suspect Debate Theology at Trial”. (see picture) So, God answered prayer!
Over the years, Pat has hosted a daily Christian radio, talk-program which eventually was heard all across North America. He constantly dealt with controversial issues, confronted the false values being imposed upon today’s society, and exposed the false and deceptive teachings which have invaded the church of Christ in this century. In addition, he has traveled and spoken in several countries around the world, including several trips to India where he conducted Pastor’s and Worker’s conferences for Christian nationals, as a guest of Dr. Harvey Lifsey, President of Christian Dynamics.
At the present time Pat  dedicates his time to conducting Bible studies in the Phoenix area and teaching at the Sun City School of The Bible. He speaks at local churches, Men’s retreats, banquets, conferences, and other opportunities around the United States. Pat has been married to the former Janet Ruth Bebo for 43 years and they have 4 children and 11 grandchildren. They reside in Sun City, Arizona. |
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