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Bowman, Daniel J.
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12 Michigan Christian Advocate e]une 19, 1995
Ordinands told,
'in1provise and
b e counterpoint'
ERIK ALSGAARD
MCA editor
Ordination is always a h oly
and sacred moment during
annual conference, when the
bishop and others lay hands on
men and women called by G od
into Christian ministry.
Wednesd ay, June 7, was just
su ch a moment for 13 deacons
and 12 elders ordained by
Bishop D onald A. Ott on the
stage of Dawson Auditorium
Preaching the ordination
I
I •
I
ab out som ed ay conducting a
symphony orchestra, Ott urged
the ordinands " and your colleagues in the ministry to
adopt two essential modes of
being. Improvisation and
counterpoint.
" Our church as institution is
in desperate n eed of (improvisation). Our congregations
would be liberated if only they
would trust G od and each
other enough to move away
from the script," Ott proclaimed. "To be able to improvise is a saving skill."
C ounterpoint, the bish op
continued, " is a song pointed
against the original of the primary m elody.
" This is our work. This is
what Jesus was about," he continued. "This is what drove
Joel. This is the hardest work of
ministry. We have all we can do
to even recognize in the life to
which the Bible and our Savior
point us, the radical difference
we are to be and to declare.
"Jesus," h e said, "was counterpoint. Counterpoint is "you
h ave heard it said .... but I
say... ." You, in Christ, are the
counterpoint."
Participating in the ordination this year, as a symbolic
image of the wh ole b od y of
Christ, was the R ev. E dward
G ehres, Jr., Executive Presbyter of D etroit. Conference
preach er, D r. W. Paul Jon es,
als o a ssis ted.
Lawrence Welk? No, it's Bishop
Ott, with a gift of a baton given
to him by the Rev. David Mulder, in case he ever needs
it.- mca photo/Erik Alsgaard"
DEAC ONS,
1995
Tonya Arnesen, spou se:
David A . Arnesen ; Ho m e
1995 DETROIT CONFERENl;E ELDERS
(L-r): John ~enry Schneider, Nancy Goyings, Chong Youb Won, Kris Kappler, Jill Zundel, David
Eardley, Marilyn D eGraw, C . Earl Eden, Jr., Patricia Ann Green, Wilson "Drew" Andrew Hart and
E_aniel l a mes Bowman.-mca phow!Jim R upm
'
trict: Ann Arbor.
Carol Marie Blair, Home
church: Fairgrove UMC, District: Saginaw Bay.
Dongil Chang, spouse:
Jubeen Chang; Home church:
Troy Korean UMC; District:
D etroit E ast.
Dougla s K . Coone,
spouse: Lori K. C oone; H ome
church: Saginaw: Ames; D istrict: Danville, Ky.
S a ra Suzanne Griffin,
H ome church : Flint Court
Street; D istrict: F lint.
Linda Jo P owers, Home
church : Hudson UMC; D istrict: Ann Arbor.
Bryan G. SchneiderThoma~
spouse: JuEe Schnei-
der-T h omas; Home church :
Grand Blanc UMC ; District:
Flint.
Jean Scroggins, spouse:
Nick Scroggins; Hom e church:
Associate Membership
and Deacon Order
James Albert Rencontre,
spouse: Jean B. Rencontre;
Home church: L'Anse UMC;
District: Marquette.
Associate Membership
and Recognition of
Deacon Order
Bo Lange ; spouse: D ian a;
Home church: Ordained Swedish Covenant Church.
R ecognition of O r der s
and Full Membership
U t Van To, spouse: Karen
Hien Vo T o; Appointment:
Vie tna m ese UM M inis t ry,
Michigan area.
M a rilyn C . DeGr aw,
spouse: Rev. Alan DeGraw;
Home church: Vassar UMC;
District: Saginaw Bay; Appointment: Waterman-P reston
UMC, D etroit West District.
David A. Eardley, Home
church: Mt. Hope U M C; District: Detroit E ast; Appointment: Britton G race, Ann
Arbor District.
C . Earl E den J r ., spouse:
Patricia Ann; H om e church:
N orthville First UMC; D istrict : Ann Arbor; Appointment: Springville, Ann Arbor
District.
N ancy Goyi ngs, Home
church : Frankenmuth UMC;
Saginaw Bay; Appointmen t:
Kilman augh and Unionville,
Port H uron District.
P at rici a Ann Green,
H ome church: Berea St. Paul
UM~; District; D etroit East;
n .-mca pnoco!.CriR rmgaara
serm on from Joel 2:26- 32,
Bishop Ott reminded those
about to b e ordained that "a
pastor is one who shares good
news
and who creates new
,
lifie.
U sing a "fantasy" he has
..._,.~ • • -
•• • ••••• - w-••)
-- - · · '"'-
church: Detroit Metropolitan;
District: Detroit East.
Gary A. Baker, spouse:
Lynnene; Home church; H ale
First UMC; District: Saginaw
Bay.
Ronda · Beebe, spouse:
Raymond
Beebe;
H ome
church : Highland UMC; Dis-
Trinity UMC, Iron Mountain;
District: Marquette.
Reed P. Swanson, spouse:
Julian a; H ome church: Clarkston UMC; District: Flint.
Karen Hien Thi Vo To,
spouse: Rev. Ut To; Home
church: D earborn Mt. Olivet;
District: Detroit West.
ELDERS,
1995
Daniel James Bowman,
spouse: Celina; Home church:
C alvary UMC, Toledo, OH;
District: Toledo, West Ohio;
Appointment: Lapeer Trinity,
Port Huron District.
1995 DETROIT CONFERENCE DEACONS
...
Back row (1-r): Reed P. Swanson, Dongil Chang, Bryan G. Schneider-Thomas , Carol Marie Blair, Douglas Coone, Tonya Arnesen. Front
row: James Rencontre, Gary Baker, Jean Scroggins, Linda Jo Powers, Sara Suzanne Griffin, Ronda Beebe and Karen Hien Thi Vo To.-mca
phoco/Erik Alsgaarrl
Appointment: Hrighton First
as associate pastor, Ann Arbor
District.
Wilson "Drew" Andrew
Hart, spouse: F. Caroline;
Home church: West Side
UMC; District: Ann Arbor;
Appointment: Lake Orion as
associate pastor, Port Huron
District.
Kris Stewart Kappler,
spouse: Meekyoung Sarah
Kappler; H ome church: Plymouth First UMC; District:
Ann Arbor; Appointment :
Harbor Beach, Port H ope,
Port Huron District.
John Henry Schneider,
spouse: Debra T. Schneider,
Home church: Calvary UMC;
District: Ann Arbor; Appointment: Morrice, Pittsburg, Bennington, Flint District.
Chong Youb Won, Home
church: Korean First Central;
District: Detroit East; Appointm e nt : Halsey/ So uth
Mundy, Flint District.
Jill Zundel, spouse: Gary
L. Zundel; Home church: Big
Beaver UMC, Troy; District:
Detroit E ast; Appointment:
Hazel Park First, Detroit East
District.
t
0 H oly One,
we are your seed. B n"ng
y our wisdom to fruitful yield
in us. WOrk through us to ,.aise
up the leaders n eeded for this
tim e and this task. Guide and
bless our ch oosing.
we pray in the name of the
Faithful One, J esus C hn'st our
Lord.
Amen.
The Rev. Daniel and Celina Bowman with their triplets, born Mar. 7.
Every day a surprise
for parents .of triplets!
el/t7/'11
1- a. Sa-lie. _, 3 ~· O'Yl
KATHY GOOLIAN
MCA Staff Reporter
ADRIAN - At least five
prayer chains were praying as the
Rev. Daniel and Celina Bowman's
triplets were born on Mar. 7.
Second-born Andrew needed special help. He was born with a low
heartbeat, was not breathing, and
had the cord wrapped around his
neck.
"It took one to two minutes to
get him breathing, but it seemed
like 25," Rev. Bowman said, " until the doctor and nurse told us he
was okay and we heard him
cry... It was a helpless feeling,
but we were in God's hands."
The couple found out 16 weeks
into Celina's pregnancy that they
were expecting triplets! "Celina
was in shock, and I was numb,''
Daniel said. There is no history
in the families of twins or triplets,
and the pregnancy was completely
natural.
AFTER CHRISTMAS the
doctor recommended complete
bed rest for Celina. On Mar. 7 at
St. Vincent's Hospital in Toledo,
Abagail was born at 6:06 p.m.,
weighing five pounds, 13 ounces;
at 6:12 Andrew was born, weigh-
ing five pounds six ounces,· and at
6:16 Jacob was born, weighing
five pounds two ounces.
Parishioners at LaSalle: Zion
United Methodist Church on the
Ann Arbor District where Daniel
serves, brought in meals twice a
week, did cleaning, and watched
Alyssa, the triplets' two-year-old
big sister. Celina's sister lives close
by and has been a big help in
watching Alyssa, too.
''They did anything we asked,''
Daniel said. "It was great agape
love."
THE TWO boys may be identical twins, the father said.
Abagail is "way ahead of them"
in development. "She is wider
awake, looks around more, moves
her arms and head often, and
weighs nine ounces more."
All three babies are back to
their birth weight. Babies drop
five to nine ounces when they
come home. A nurse comes in to
weigh and check them every three
days.
"Every day is a surprise," Rev.
Bowman concluded. "We might
as well enjoy these precious
moments."
0
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Elder Candidates and Full Membership
DAMELJAMESBO~N
Spouse:
Home Church:
District:
Appointment:
College:
Seminary:
Celina
Calvary UMC, Toledo, OH
Toledo W. Ohio
Lapeer Trinity
University of Toledo, B.A. in Education, 1982
Methesco, 1988- M.Div., 1993
Statement to Conference:
The Church is God's, entrusted to human hands. May we listen when we are tempted to speak,
speak when we are tempted to hide, and act when we are tempted to run. Daily may we live as
the Holy Spirit guides, proclaiming new life through Christ to a world held hostage by death and
despair.
Elder-
on-
The Call
When the Rev. Daniel Bowman was eight years old, he "felt an
overwhelming discovery of God's love and grace." He felt the need to
explore the ministry as a possible career. "It was either that or profootball," he said. "God solved that by not making me big enough for
pro-football."
In his teen years Daniel tried to run from the call, out of anxiety.
"Isn't there something else you want me to do?" He asked God.
At age 17 the hunger returned, "I sensed in my heart this is what God
wanted for my life," he said. He sensed it mostly through worship. "I
found peace when I gave in."
Dan did' his undergraduate work at the University ofToledo in elementary education. He thought this would be good for the ministry.
While in college he was committed in his heart to the ministry, but
had taken no practical steps toward effecting it. Harold Cochran, the lay leaders at Dan's home
church, (Toledo Calvary UMC) encouraged him to go into the ministry and start the process.
Dan and his wife, Celina, moved to Delaware, Ohio, where he attended his first year of seminary at M etbesco. Fraught with financial difficulties, Dan took a year off and ·substitute taught. He
s~emed to be getting financil:~lly further from seminary rather than closer and became "very upset
with God."
The day he prayed most: angrily to God, Dan received a phone call from an uncle who wanted
to see his house. After the visit, his uncle gave him a check that enabled·Dan to return to seminary
in the fall.
His first charge was LaSalle Zion in Sept. 1990. Now Dan is at Lapeer Trinity UMC. "I can't
think of doing anything else," he says. "I feel joy and peace with my decision and vocation. Peace
is the key."
He is now serving on the Detroit Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry.
The best change in his call so far is "the feeling of not having to solve everyone's problems. I
had high expectations and was frustrated," particularly in the area of helping parishioners handle
death. "I had to stop trying to be God and let God take over in their lives," Dan said.
Bowman, Daniel J.