Thomas L. Bowen

Thomas L. Bowen is the Minister of Fellowship & Outreach at the historic Shiloh Baptist Church of Washington, DC.  Prior to joining the ministerial team at Shiloh in July 2002, he served as an Associate Minister at the Third Baptist Church of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.  He is a Contributing Writer for Precious Times magazine and has served as the Religion Editor for the Washington Informer newspaper.

 Minister Bowen is a native of Lorain County, Ohio.  He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Morehouse College and his theological training from The Divinity School at the University of Chicago.  Minister Bowen was licensed to preach the Gospel at his home church, Bethany Baptist Church, in Elyria, Ohio

 Minister Bowen has held several positions in the non-profit community.  He has served as the Senior Religious Advocate for the Children’s Defense Fund; Senior Field Organizer for its Black Community Crusade for Children; Executive Director of the Midnight Basketball Leagues of Lorain County, Inc; Project Coordinator for the Urban Child Research Center at Cleveland State University and Assistant Director of the Upward Bound Program at Oberlin College.

In 1991, Minister Bowen became one of the youngest persons ever to be elected to a school board in the State of Ohio, winning a seat on the Elyria City Schools’ Board of Education. He became Vice President of the board during his second term. He has served on many other boards including the Board of Trustees for the Lorain County Urban League, Inc. and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia and the Board of Governors for The Jamestown Project of which he is also a Founding Member.

Minister Bowen has received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a Proclamation for Outstanding Achievement from the Ohio House of Representatives and numerous others awards and honors.  In 1995, Ebony Magazine named him one of the Fifty Leaders of Tomorrow. He has also participated in group study exchange trips to Cuba, France, Guatemala and Japan.

The major influences on Minister Bowen’s ministry have been Dorothy Ann Hayes Bowen, Rev. Prathia L. Hall, Rev. Alan V. Ragland, Rev. Gardner Calvin Taylor and Marian Wright Edelman.