Montage of campus and students; closeup of Bible page

James P. Bowers, Ph.D.

Visiting Professor of Spiritual Formation and Practical Theology

Email: jbowers@regent.edu

Education

  • Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
  • M. Div. Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
  • M. A. Pentecostal Theological Seminary
  • B A Lee University

Courses Taught

  • Spiritual Formation I and II
  • Pastoral Renewal Models, Practices, and Leadership
  • Dynamics of Effective Renewal Leadership
  • Emerging Models and Practices of Discipleship and Worship
  • John Wesley's Theology and the 21st Century Church
  • The Holiness-Pentecostal Movement in the USA

Current Research Interests

  • Pastoral and Spiritual Formation and Renewal
  • Emerging Models and Alternative Approaches to Education
  • Practical Theology Research Methods
  • Issues and Practices in the Pentecostal Movement
  • Gender and Ministry Leadership

Published Articles and Book Chapters

  • James P. Bowers, "Pastoral Covenant Groups: Learning to Flourish Together," in Penny Marler and Bruce Roberts, eds., So Much Better: How Thousands of Pastors Learned to Help Each Other Thrive, (St. Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press, 2012).
  • Kimberly Ervin Alexander and James P. Bowers, "Race and Gender Equality in a Classical Pentecostal Denomination: How Godly Love Flourished and Foundered," in Matthew Lee and Amos Yong, eds., Godly Love Impediments and Possibilities, (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.2012).
  • Kimberly Ervin Alexander and James P. Bowers, Spirit Love: Pushing the Borders of Pentecostal Witness (forthcoming 2012).
  • Kimberly Alexander, James P. Bowers and Mark J. Cartledge, 'Spirit Baptism, Socialization and Godly Love in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN)', PentecoStudies: An Interdisciplinary Journal for Research on the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements 11.1 (2012) forthcoming.
  • "Practices in the Spirit: A Pentecostal Model of Pastoral Formation," in Passion, Pentecost, and Parousia: Studies in Honor of R. Hollis Gause, Deo, 2010.
  • "Do We Really Need the Doctrine of Sanctification?" Evangel (March 2007).
  • "Pastoral Excellence – Pentecostal Style." Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Newsletter, Duke Divinity School (May 2006).
  • "Leadership Development Lessons: A Report on the Walking in the Spirit Project," Evangel (May 2005).
  • "A Conversation About Church of God Pastors," in James P. Bowers, ed.  Portrait and Prospect: Church of God Pastors Face the 21st Century, (Cleveland Tennessee: Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care, 2004).
  • "How Pastors Feel," in James P. Bowers, ed. Portrait and Prospect: Church of God Pastors Face the 21st Century, (Cleveland Tennessee: Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care, 2004).
  • "What Pastors Need," in James P. Bowers, ed. Portrait and Prospect: Church of God Pastors Face the 21st Century, (Cleveland Tennessee: Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care, 2004).
  • "Experiencing the Baptism in the Holy Spirit," in Robert White, ed. Endued with Power (Nashville, Tennessee: Oliver Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995).
  • "A Wesleyan-Pentecostal Approach to Christian Formation," in the Journal of Pentecostal Theology (October 1995).

Published Books

  • Editor. Portrait and Prospect: Church of God Pastors Face the 21st Century, (Cleveland Tennessee: Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care, 2004).
  • You Can Have What You Say: A Pastoral Response to the Prosperity Gospel (Cleveland, Tennessee: Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care, 2004).

Professional Affiliations

  • Society for Pentecostal Studies, Practical Theology Interest Group Leader
  • American Academy of Religion
  • Society for the Advancement of Continuing Education for Ministry

Special Projects

  • Authored successful $350,000 grant proposal for the Indiana Church of God State Office, submitted to Lilly Endowment, Inc.'s "Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Indiana Pastors" (November 2008).
  • Authored successful $50,000 grant proposal for the Indiana Church of God State Office, submitted to Lilly Endowment, Inc.'s "Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Indiana pastors" (November 1, 2007).
  • Authored successful $126,000 grant proposal for the Church of God Theological Seminary, submitted to Lilly Endowment, Inc.'s "Sustainability Grant Initiative" (September 1, 2007).
  • Authored successful $2,000,000 grant proposal for the Church of God Theological Seminary, submitted to Lilly Endowment, Inc.'s "Making Connections" initiative (2004).
  • Authored successful $44,500 grant proposal for the Church of God Theological Seminary, submitted to Lilly Endowment, Inc.'s "Making Connections" initiative (2004).
  • Authored successful $252,255 grant proposal for the Church of God Theological Seminary, submitted to Lilly Endowment, Inc.'s "Sustaining Pastoral Excellence" initiative (2002).

Conference Presentations

  • "Making Covenant Together," Society for Pentecostal Studies, Regent University (March 7, 2012).
  • "Gender and Racial Equality in a Classical Pentecostal Denomination: Spirit and Polity in Conflict" with Dr. Kim Alexander, European Pentecostal-Charismatic Researchers Association, Riga, Latvia (November 5, 2011).
  • Presentation on "Gender and Racial Equality in a Classical Pentecostal Denomination: How Godly Love Flourished and Foundered" at the University of Birmingham, UK (November 8, 2011).
  • Respondent to Dianne J. Chandler's "Spiritual Formation in Ecological Perspective," Society for Pentecostal Studies, Memphis, Tennessee (March 11, 2011).
  • "Report on the Flame of Love Project" with Drs. Kim Alexander and Mark Cartledge, Society for Pentecostal Studies, Memphis, Tennessee (March 10, 2011).
  • "Sanctification, Spirit Baptism and Mission: A Study of Divine Love in a Wesleyan-Pentecostal Denomination" with Dr. Kim Alexander, Wesleyan Theological Society, Dallas, Texas (March 4, 2011).
  • "Pentecostalism and Godly Love: Assemblies of God and Church of God" at "The Great Commandment: Theology and Social Science in Dialogue" conference held at Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, California (October 22-23, 2010).
  • Presentation on "Recent Research in Pastoral Leadership" at the University of Birmingham, England, (June 30, 2010).
  • "Is the Treatment the Cure?" A Study of Participation in a Pastoral Peer Group" with Drs. Kim Alexander, Penny Marler, Rev. Janet Maykus, et al. Presented at Sustaining Pastoral Excellence "A Still More Excellent Way" conference, Indianapolis, IN (May 2010)
  • Presentation of the Lilly Endowment funded Pastoral Excellence project on the Church of God at the Society for the Advancement of Continuing Education for Ministry (January 2010).
  • "Practices in the Spirit" presentation at the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Minneapolis, Minnesota, (March 2010).
  • Panel Facilitator for Emergent Church conversation with Tony Jones and Cheryl Bridges Johns, Society for Pentecostal Studies, Minneapolis, Minnesota (March 2010).
  • "Practices in the Spirit: A Pentecostal Model of Pastoral Formation," Church of God Theological Seminary Minister's Week (March 2007)
  • "What the U. S. Congregational Life Survey Reveals About What Pentecostal Pastors Need," Society for Pentecostal Studies, Pasadena, California (March 2006)
  • "What Pentecostal Pastors Need: What the U.S. Congregational Life Survey Reveals," Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Rochester, New York (September 2005)
  • "The Meaning of Pentecostal Pastoral Excellence," Fund for Theological Education Excellence in Ministry, Indianapolis, Indiana (January 2004).
  • Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Forum Panelist, Lilly Endowment, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana (January 2004).

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