Bryan Paterson

Bryan Paterson (born March 16, 1977) is a Canadian politician serving as the 96th and current mayor of Kingston.

Career
Paterson is an economics professor at the Royal Military College of Canada.

Mayor
Paterson became mayor of Kingston after winning the election on October 27, 2014 with 38.15% of the vote. The first meeting of City Council was on December 2, 2014.

Paterson was re-elected in 2018 with 69% of the vote, then again in the 2022 municipal election with 74% of the vote.

Controversy
In 2014, Paterson came under scrutiny when two videos of him discussing the "hyper-sexualization" of youth appeared on social media. In the second video, Paterson notes his desire to "raise up an army for God."

In 2020, Paterson was accused of participating in conversion therapy while serving as a youth pastor at the Third Day Worship Centre, a conservative evangelical church. Paterson denied "certain claims" made by his alleged victim as "false and inaccurate."

Paterson distanced himself when videos surfaced of Third Day Worship Centre pastor Francis Armstrong giving sermons in which he made discriminatory remarks about the LGBT community and the Islamic Society of Kingston.

Personal life
Paterson attended Third Day Worship Centre, a church that is non-denominational and evangelical.