August 1, 2016

Rev. Brent Bowden's
  Brief Biography

We welcome Reverend Brent & Anna Bowden to the Rochester area and to the church family at First Baptist Church of Rochester.

Pastor Brent is a Texas native with fourteen years of ministry experience in various roles in both the minsterial and educational settings. He is a 2005 graduate of Baylor University with a BA in Telecommunications and earned a Masters of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary in 2008. Before beginning his tenure at First Baptist-Rochester, he served as pastor for four and half years at The Sanctuary, a Baptist church with ecumenical appeal in Austin, Texas. During his ministry at The Sanctuary, Pastor Brent had the honor of learning and serving as a fellow in the Pastoral Leadership for Public Life program at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, which brings pastors and public leaders together at the crossroads of faith and public issues such as natural resources, education, public health, affordable housing, and much more. He also honed pastoral skills and gathered wisdom as a member of an interdenominational and interfaith clergy study group.

These life, academic, and ministerial experiences have led Pastor Brent to view the current stage of life in the American church as an age of great opportunity. It is no secret that cultural shifts have left the church with great challenges. Many have suggested this means the days of the institutional church are coming to a close. Others have suggested the church simply needs to redouble its efforts. Pastor Brent believes any community willing to react with swift and unswerving compassion, harnessing the resources and structures of institution to do so, can change the world. No kind of church is better suited to do that than one that has the ability to make decisions for itself without the risk of isolation. In short, Pastor Brent believes it is an exciting time to be an American Baptist Church and is excited to join in leadership with the obviously compassionate people of First Baptist Church of Rochester. We are very excited to have him join us as we begin our preparations for our 200th anniversary celebration year from the fall of 2017 through the fall of 2018.

Brent likes to spend his down time training for triathlons, wood working, watching sports, playing golf, and laughing with friends and family. He and his wife, Anna, will celebrate ten years of marriage in August and are excited being in Rochester. Anna is a candidate for a PhD in New Testament from Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. Together Brent and Anna love spending time outside and playing games with family and friends.