The Rt. Rev. David Bowman

The Rt. Rev. David C. Bowman served as the 9th Bishop of the Diocese of Western New York from 1987-1998. Retiring to Cleveland, Ohio January 1999, he served as the Interim Dean of Trinity Cathedral until February 2000 and is presently an Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Ohio.

Born in Oil City, Pennsylvania on November 15, 1932 to Robert Charles Bowman and Ella Lee Bowman. Bishop Bowman received his B.A. degree from Ohio University in 1955 and his MDiv. from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1960. He was ordained to the Diaconate in June 1960 by Bishop Beverly Tucker of Ohio and to the Priesthood in December of 1960 by Bishop Nelson Burroughs of Ohio. He served in the Army from 1955 to 1957 and was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Bishop Bowman served as assistant at Epiphany Church, Cleveland, OH (60-63), Vicar of St. Andrew’s, North Grafton, MA (63-66), Rector of St. Andrew’s, Youngstown, OH (67-73), Rector of St. James’, Painesville, OH (73-80) and Rector of Trinity Church, Toledo, OH (80-86).

Early in Bishop Bowman’s Episcopacy, the Diocese began a “Forward in Faith” capital campaign which raised more than four million dollars for the support of the Church at the local level, as well as providing resources to enable the mission of the Church at the diocesan and national levels.

While Bishop of Western New York, Bishop Bowman served on the Board of the Episcopal Church Home, a retirement community and Compass house, a home for Runaway youth. He was an active leader of the Buffalo Area Metropolitan Ministries and helped lead this agency to a merger with the Buffalo Area Council of Churches. Nationally, Bishop Bowman served on the Episcopal Churches Program Budget and Finance Committee for nine years. He represented that Committee on the Churches Audit Committee. He served as the Vice Chair of the House of Bishop’s Planning Committee and in this capacity assisted in the planning of an historic joint meeting with the Lutheran Conference of Bishops and the Episcopal House of Bishops. He served a term as a member of the General Board of Examining Chaplains.

Bishop Bowman and his wife, Nancy Lou (Betts) Bowman, have three children.