Rev. Canon Ben Bowman

Canon to the Ordinary

As Canon to the Ordinary Ben assists the Bishop and Diocesan Council in the oversight of a number of areas, including:

• The ordination process and licensing/transfer of clergy
• The creation and care of church plants, new congregations and missions, and the admission of congregations into our diocese
• The preparation and assessment of church planters
• The coordination of Parish Visits for the Bishops
• Canonical compliance for our churches, clergy, Diocesan Council, and Synod
• The development of Church and Clergy Policies and Resources

Ben especially enjoys the times when his work brings him into contact with people in our diocese, whether it be a phone call, a Zoom call, or better yet face to face meetings and retreats.  Convocation & Synod, Ordinand Retreats, and Deanery Retreats are always highlights of the year for him.

Ben is the son of Norman and Gwen Bowman, previously missionaries in Barcelona, Spain, where he grew up from the early age of 3.  He attended Wheaton College (BM, ‘03) where he met and married Kristin.  They live in Durham, NC with their three children, Eliana, Annie, and David.

Ben has been in full-time ministry for 19 years.  For the first 12 years, he served as music minister and church administrator in various of congregations.  In 2015, he became the Director of Operations for PEAR-USA, under Bishop Steve Breedlove, and in the Spring of 2016 that role transferred over to the Diocese of Christ our Hope.  He was ordained to the diaconate in 2018 after which he was appointed Canon to the Ordinary under Bishop Steve.

Ben has a heart for teaching, mentoring, prayer, and the worship of the Church, and he longs to see the Church be ever more transformed into the image of Christ. One of his favorite Bible verses is 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Ben enjoys great music, reading, good wine, basketball, and especially fellowship with friends.