Henry Bowdon, Jr.

Joseph Henry Bowdon, Jr., son of Dr. and Mrs. J. Henry Bowdon, was born in Jackson, LA, April 21, 1927.  Rev. Bowdon graduated from Lake Charles High School in 1944. He then attended McNeese State College, two years before receiving his B.A. degree from Centenary College in June of 1949.  While at Centenary he was a member of the Centenary College Choir, president of the Methodist Student Movement for two years, a member of Gentry, and elected to the National Leadership Fraternity, ODK.  His B.D. degree was received from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in June 1952.

On June 5, 1950, he married Virginia Kirkland.  They have four children:  Joseph Henry, III, a graduate of the Church Careers program at Centenary (1976); John Kirkland; and Kenneth Steven, a graduate of Centenary College (1978) with a B.S. degree in Geology; and one daughter, Virginia Louise Ellsworth, who also attended Centenary, receiving a B.S. in Biology and a degree in Veterinary Science at LSU.

Rev. Bowdon has served as associate pastor, First Methodist Church, Lake Charles, LA and Director of the McNeese Wesley Foundation, 1952-54; pastor of Live Oak Methodist Church, Watson, LA, 1954-58; Moss Bluff Eastwood Methodist Churches, Moss Bluff, LA, 1958-60; Abbeville Methodist Church, Abbeville, LA, 1960-63; First Methodist Church, Plaquemine, LA 1967-69; Rayville United Methodist Church, Rayville, LA, 1969-73; Mangum Memorial United Methodist Church, Shreveport, LA, 1973-77; First United Methodist Church, DeRidder, LA, 1977-80; Blackwater United Methodist Church, Baton Rouge, LA, 1980-83.

Rev. Bowdon has been a builder.  Under his leadership, most of the churches he has served have entered into a building program.  The following is a list of the building projects in which he has been involved during his ministry:  new educational building, Live Oak Methodist Church; new church and parsonage, Moss Bluff Methodist Church, new church, Eastwood Methodist Church; remodeled parsonage, Abbeville Methodist Church; new church, Pecan Island Methodist Church; new education building, Plaquemine Methodist Church; installed elevator, Haynesville Methodist Church; stain glass windows, Rayville United Methodist Church; new gym and education building and relocated church, Mangum United Methodist Church; planned renovation of education building, DeRidder United Methodist Church; new sanctuary and new parsonage, Blackwater United Methodist Church; installing elevator and remodeling education building, First United Methodist Church, Lake Charles, LA.

Rev. Bowdon has served in many ways through his church.  He has served as secretary of the Louisiana Annual Conference Board of Temperance; as a member of the Conference Board of Social Concerns, the Conference Board of Evangelism; as a clergy representative of the Conference Board of the Laity; and as secretary of the Conference Board of Missions.  He served for five years as secretary of the Louisiana Conference Council on Finance and Administration.  He presently serves on the Conference Council on Ministries, the Board of Ordained Ministry, the Conference Board of Discipleship, and as the Louisiana Conference Coordinator of Scouting Ministries.  For the last eight years he has taught in the Annual Conference License to Preach School in Baton Rouge.  He has served as District Director of Camping, Evangelism, Christian Vocations, and Missions.  Rev. Bowdon served as Chairman of the Baton Rouge-Hammond District Committee on the Ministry, a member of the Board of Trustees of Camp Istrouma, and as one of that District’s representatives on the Church Council of Centenary College.  He has served as Trustee of the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation.  He is a charter member of the Board of Directors of Live Oak Retirement Center, Shreveport, LA and still serves in that capacity.  He presently serves in the Lake Charles District as Chairman of the Revitalization Committee, as a member of the District Committee of the Ministry, as District Coordinator of Stewardship, as a member of the District Council on Ministries, and as a trustee of Camp LeBlanc.

“Rev.”, as the Scouts call him, has been active in Scouting for many years as a leader.  As a Scout, he received the Eagle Rank in Troop 5 sponsored by First United Methodist Church, Lake Charles, LA, the church he presently serves.  He served as a committeeman of Troop 21 and Pack 21 in Moss Bluff, LA; assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 80, Abbeville, LA; Clubmaster of Pack 423 and Scoutmaster of Troop 423, Plaquemine, LA; Scoutmaster of Troop 41, Haynesville, LA; assistant Scoutmaster and Scoutmaster of Troop 43, Rayville, LA.  He was appointed Scoutmaster of National Jamboree Troop 46 of the Norwella Council that attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Faragot State Park, ID in 1969.  He attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Moraine State Park, Pennsylvania in 1973 as Scoutmaster of 26 scouts from Troop 43, Rayville, LA.  He has earned the Training Award, the Wood Badge Award and is the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award.  He is a member of the Order of the Arrow.  He presently serves on the Executive Board of the Calcasieu Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Rev. Bowdon has always been active in community affairs in every community in which he has served.  Presently he is a member of the Calcasieu Ministerial Association and is chairman of their Television Committee and is on the Executive Committee of Abraham’s Tent Association, a hot meal program sponsored by this group.  He serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Gulf States Utilities, the Advisory Board of the Lake Charles Junior League, the Advisory Board of Bayou Girl Scout Council, the Calcasieu Kiwanis Club, the Labor, Management, Civic Leader Committee of Lake Charles.  He served as one of the first Trustees of the new Humana Women’s Hospital in Lake Charles.

Rev. Bowdon has been a life-long supporter of Centenary College, inheriting his interest from his father, J. Henry Bowdon, a recipient of a Doctor of Divinity Degree from Centenary and a Trustee of the College for many years.  He sent two sons to Centenary, for three years worked in establishing the Centenary Church Careers Program, and is presently responsible for five students attending Centenary, providing partial scholarships for three of these.  For a number of years, he has been a generous supporter of the Great Teachers Fund.

Rev. Bowdon served as the Minister of Visitation at St. Luke Simpson for 23 years before moving to Sunnydale, TX to be near his daughter and grandchildren.  He often spoke of the honor of preaching in the same pulpit as his father when he pastored at First United Methodist Church in Lake Charles.

He‌ ‌is‌ ‌survived‌ ‌by‌ ‌his‌ ‌wife‌ ‌of‌ ‌70‌ ‌years,‌ ‌Virginia‌ ‌Kirkland‌ ‌Bowdon;‌ ‌three‌ ‌sons:‌  ‌Joseph‌ ‌Henry‌ ‌Bowdon‌ ‌III‌ ‌and‌ ‌wife,‌ ‌Jeanette;‌  ‌John‌ ‌Kirkland‌ ‌Bowdon‌ ‌and‌ ‌wife,‌ ‌Cindy;‌ ‌Kenneth‌ ‌Steven‌ ‌Bowdon‌ ‌and‌ ‌wife,‌ ‌Bobbye;‌ ‌one‌ ‌daughter,‌ ‌Dr.‌ ‌Virginia‌ ‌Bowdon‌ ‌Ellsworth‌ ‌and‌ ‌husband,‌  ‌Sam.‌ ‌He‌ ‌also‌ ‌has‌ ‌six‌ ‌grandchildren:‌ ‌Keren‌ ‌Bowdon‌ ‌Pickard,‌ ‌John‌ ‌Daniel‌ ‌Bowdon,‌ ‌Abbye‌ ‌Bowdon‌ ‌Perez-Montes,‌ ‌Matthew‌ ‌Bowdon,‌ ‌Megan‌ ‌Bowdon‌ ‌Wilkinson,‌ ‌Allison‌ ‌Bowdon,‌ ‌Ryan‌ ‌Ellsworth,‌ ‌Lily‌ ‌Ellsworth,‌ ‌and‌ ‌Grace‌ ‌Ellsworth.‌  ‌Henry‌ ‌had‌ ‌five‌ ‌great‌ ‌grandchildren:‌ ‌Joshua‌ ‌Pickard,‌ ‌Hannah‌ ‌Pickard,‌ ‌Emily‌ ‌Adams,‌ ‌Zoe‌ ‌Adams,‌ ‌and‌ ‌William‌ ‌Bowdon.‌ ‌He is also survived by his loving sister Louise Bowdon Mayo, and a host of beloved nieces and nephews. 

Rev.‌ ‌Bowdon‌ ‌served‌ ‌churches‌ ‌throughout‌ ‌Louisiana.  These appointments were‌ ‌Live‌ ‌Oak‌ ‌Methodist,‌ ‌Moss‌ ‌Bluff‌ ‌/ Eastwood‌ ‌Methodist,‌ ‌Abbeville‌ ‌Methodist,‌ ‌Plaquemine‌ ‌First‌ ‌Methodist,‌ ‌Haynesville‌ ‌Methodist,‌ ‌Rayville‌ ‌Methodist,‌ ‌Mangum‌ ‌Memorial‌ ‌Methodist‌ ‌in‌ ‌Shreveport,‌ ‌First‌ ‌United‌ ‌Methodist‌ ‌in‌ ‌DeRidder,‌ ‌Blackwater‌ ‌United‌ ‌Methodist‌ ‌in‌ ‌Baton‌ ‌Rouge,‌ ‌First‌ ‌United‌ Methodist‌ ‌in‌ ‌Lake‌ ‌Charles,‌ ‌First‌ ‌United‌ ‌Methodist‌ ‌in‌ ‌Houma,‌ ‌and‌ ‌St.‌ ‌Luke-Simpson‌ ‌UMC‌ ‌in‌ ‌Lake‌ ‌Charles.‌ 

Funeral services will be at 10:00 AM Saturday in the Johnson Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Karl Klaus will officiate. Burial will in Graceland Cemetery. In keeping with current regulations, friends are requested to wear masks and social distancing is encouraged. Live streaming will be provided through the Johnson Funeral Home, Facebook App., facebook.com/johnsonfuneralhomeLakeCharles.