Welcoming Pastor Keith and Shayna
It is always exciting for a congregation when a new pastor arrives. It is even more exciting to see a young pastor come in. Announcements were made about Pastor and Mrs. Keith Bowman's arrival. Finally it was the Sabbath when Pastor Keith Bowman and his wife Shayna were introduced to the church and the congregation watched a tall gentleman with a beautiful wife walk up to the platform. They both were smiling as the congregation gave them a hearty welcome. One could not forget the young couple and the joy written on their faces as they committed to serve the Lord by joining the pastoral staff at the Beaverton SDA church. The couple looks so young that they could pass for being one of the young adults at our church. If you want to personally meet them and get acquainted with them, you will need to look carefully to locate them.
When asked about his calling to ministry, Pastor Keith speaks from his heart saying "I had a lot of involvement during my High school years at Georgia-Cumberland Academy church. It was very cool to be involved so heavily in church. I knew I was a relational person and I had natural talents in speaking to large audiences. I prayed pretty seriously about it and doors have been opening ever since." It is awesome to see young people, wanting to serve the Lord at an early age. When they think that participating in church is a "cool thing" you know you have someone special. The Beaverton SDA church is delighted to have Pastor Keith and his wife Shayna as part of the Pastoral staff.
Pastor Keith's first sermon was about King David. There was no question about his natural abilities. It is not a topic that many pastors would choose. As he held the Bible and expounded from it, he did not shy away from the difficult scenes of King David's life. The congregation was mesmerized. They watched this person with the appearance of a "teen-ager" transform right before their eyes into a mighty preacher for the Lord. He left the congregation spell bound as he related the story in his youthful vocabulary, entertaining and preaching at the same time. God has blessed him with an inherent ability to preach and communicate His word in a way that people listen and internalize the message. May God be praised!
Pastor Keith has worked as a pastor for the last one and a half years and he has experienced many reassuring moments about his ministry. When asked about his plans and strategy for his ministry, he said: "Well, at Beaverton it seems like people are pushing me in the direction of the youth, which is good in my mind because I have a passion in that area. I am very interested in working with Rodney, it is a rare gift that there are two pastors in the same church that can work as a team. I love Jesus, and I hope they fall more in love with Jesus too. "
Pastor Keith Bowman was born in Columbia Maryland (Go Terps! He says with excitement). His parents are Keith Van Bowman I and Gail Hedges. He had his early education in Maryland public schools and Martinsburg WV and Rocky Knoll SDA School. He has a B.A. in Theology from Southern Adventist University. He is married to Shayna who was born and raised in Collegedale TN. She is currently attending Pacific University pursuing a degree in Optometry. Pastor Keith fondly adds that "she's a genius". Pastor Keith likes to play the guitar, read good story books, and listen to music.