Patricia M. Savage

By the sovereign will of God, Mother Patricia Margaret Savage, Overseer and Founder of Unity Deliverance Ministries of Lakewood, NJ, transitioned from this life February 12, 2020, and was called from labor to reward.

Mother Savage, affectionately known as “Pat” or “Overseer”, was born July 22, 1946 in New Brunswick, NJ. She was the tenth child of the late Robert and Olive (Middleton) Van Horn.

Pat was educated in the New Brunswick School System and continued to graduation. She married at a young age, and to this union four children were born. Her family later grew by two, bringing Pat six children to cherish.

Pat began her career at Middlesex Hospital (now Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital) as a nurse’s aide and was later promoted to unit secretary. She continued her career at Freehold Area Hospital and Community Memorial Hospital in Toms River, NJ, where she retired.

Pat attended First Baptist Church in New Brunswick along with her family, and was a member of the choir and usher board. She accepted the Lord as her Savior at Soul Saving Station Church in Long Branch, NJ, under the late Pastor Arsylee Harding. There, she learned the tenets of her faith. Pat soon moved on to attend Evangelical Bible Institute in Newark, NJ, under the late Dr. Nathaniel Screven. It was her passion to learn all that she could about the Lord – this led her to attend, and obtain certification from, The Christian Education and Theological Evangelical Bible Institute in Newark, NJ.

The next phase of Overseer’s spiritual journey would become instrumental in developing her as a mature woman of God. In the early 1980s, while traveling as an evangelist, she along with three other prayer warriors and evangelists heeded the Lord’s call and birthed Women on Call for God. Later, her husband, the late Overseer LeRoy Savage, founded Men on Call for God. In quenching her continual hunger for God, she went on to attend and obtain a certification from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA.

All of Overseer’s training and experience became a catalyst for one of her most important positions in the Lord’s church – Pastor and Founder of Unity Deliverance Tabernacle, later renamed Unity Deliverance Ministries.

In 2003, after the passing of her husband, in search of spiritual covering, Overseer Savage and Unity Deliverance Ministries joined the Fellowship under Bishop Ralph L. Dennis, and was appointed “Mother in Zion.” She later appointed and ordained her son, Samuel L. Fowler, Jr, as the Pastor.

While she had impeccable taste in clothing and kept her hair and nails looking flawless, Overseer did not mind getting her hands dirty with the Lord’s work. It has been said that her mission was for the “dirty birds”.  She was a prayer warrior from the old school who believed in prayer and fasting. She had a no-nonsense approach to holiness and led with a spirit of excellence. Her loving, caring demeanor attracted many who were looking for motherly love.

As Mother Savage’s health became increasingly challenged over the last few years, she always believed that God would restore her, and her love, dedication, faithfulness and service to Unity Deliverance Ministries and its members remained unwavering.

Mother Patricia Savage was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Overseer LeRoy Savage; son, Rashen Benton; and her siblings, Florence Fields, Barbara Johnson, Leedell Tyus, Robert Ralph Tyus, Columbus “Jackie” Van Horn, Marilyn Van Horn, Susan Wilkins, and Lillie Witcher.

She leaves to cherish her memory three daughters, Denice (Waine) Worthy of S. Toms River, NJ, Shelley (Michael) Barnes of Brick, NJ, Monique Fowler of S. Toms River, NJ; two sons, Samuel (Celena) Fowler of Bayville, NJ and Charles (Nancy) Scott of S. Toms River, NJ; one sister, Mary (Charles) Speights of California; fifteen grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; members of the clergy; and a host of family, friends and spiritual children.

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