Our Leadership
Bob Allen
Senior Pastor
pastorbob@sabchurch.org
Bob Allen began serving as the Senior Pastor of Salem Avenue Baptist Church in July of 2023. He has previously served at New Life Baptist Church (Davenport, IA) from 2017-2023 and First Baptist Church (Norborne, MO) from 2013-2017. An avid supporter of the work of the Southern Baptist Convention, he has served as a member of the Pastor and Church Support Staff of the Baptist Convention of Iowa as well as various positions with local Baptist associations. He holds an MTS with an emphasis in preaching and pastoral ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Bob and his wife, Mandy, have two daughters, Lucy and Daisy. He is the author of The Blueprint of Grace: Seeing and Submitting to God’s Design for Sanctification and blogs at Tracing the Thread. He has an affinity for single-origin third wave coffee, the St. Louis sports scene, good books, and golf.
Darlene Patterson
Music Director
darlene@sabchurch.org
Darlene Patterson began serving as Music Director at SABC in 2000. She graduated from Crawford County R-II High School in Cuba, Missouri. Darlene is a graduate from Southwest Baptist University (Bachelor of Music Education, 1982) and University of Missouri-Columbia (Masters of Music Education, 1991). Darlene retired in 2011 after a 29-year teaching career at the Newburg Public School, where she taught K-12 Vocal Music.
Darlene has served in a church music position since 1975. She currently directs the Adult and Handbell Choirs and supervises the Praise Team. Darlene leads traditional worship and plans music for all services.
Darlene is married to Charles Patterson, engineer of hydraulics and hydrology, who is an active deacon at SABC.