Bishop Thomas Bowman, D.D., son of Jacob & Elizabeth (Weiss) Bowman, was born in Lehigh township, Northampton County, Pa., May 28, 1836. He was the fourth child and the first son born to the family. Very early in life he took a great liking to books, and realizing the value of an education, immediately set out to acquire that mental culture, so essential to a successful public career. Being a hard worker and an apt student, he soon finished the work in the common schools, and was sent to an academy at Easton, Pa., where he completed his course with honor both to himself and the parents who had placed so much confidence in him, and had so largely guided his principles, conduct, and habits.

Upon the completion of his course at school he entered the employ of his father, serving as a clerk, in a store at Aquashicola, Carbon County, Pa. After serving in this capacity for a few years, being diligent in his work and showing so many good business traits, at the early age of 20, he took complete control of his fathers mercantile business, and continued it with success until he entered the ministry.

On April 26, 1856, he was married to Diana Young, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Went) Young, which union was blessed with one daughter, Tillie Louise. Mrs. Bowman came from a prominent Northampton county family. Her father was treasurer of Northampton County in 1856.

Bishop Thomas Bowman was reared in a Christian home. His parents were devoted and faithful members of the Evangelical Association for many years. At the age of 18 he was soundly converted to God in a revival meeting held at Weissport, Pa., and the Rev. Christian Mayers, one of the pioneer preachers of the Evangelical Association, received about one week later into the church. In his church activities, as well as in his business, he put himself into the work, and it was not long before the people discovered that he was possessed of extraordinary talent and ability and his rise in the church as almost phenomenal. He served as Sunday school superintendent and class leader for a number of years. In those days the preacher had large circuits, and one evening the regular pastor failed to fill his appointment, the congregation insisted that Mr. Bowman should occupy the pulpit that evening. He reluctantly consented to preach. Afterward the people urged him to accept the call to the Christian ministry, which came to him so forcibly that he could not reject it. He had been engaged in a lucrative business, with bright prospects of making a fortune, and at the same time, had been offered an annual salary of several thousand dollars to represent a Philadelphia firm, he sacrificed all these business prospects and entered the ministry in the East Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Association, at a salary of $100 a year, to work for the good of man and glory of God. His recommendation for license to preach was secured by his pastor, the Rev. John Schell, and he was licensed to preach at the twentieth session of the East PA Conference, held at Lancaster, PA., April 9, 1859, and was stationed on Lehigh Circuit, including what is now known as Lehigh, Bucks, and Northampton counties. On this circuit there were about fifteen appointments, or preaching places, he traveled this circuit faithfully for one year, meeting with great success, hundreds of people were converted and added to the church during the year.

This was the beginning of the ministry and church activities of a man who became on of the greatest minds and historic centers in the annals of the Evangelical Association.

At the next annual session of conference he was stationed on Northampton Circuit, this circuit embraced the territory between the Blue mountains and the Easton PA., and between the Lehigh and Delaware rivers. After two years of faithful service on this charge the membership was doubled. His next appointment was in the city of Allentown, where he served as pastor of the Linden Street church, and the Mingo Mission now known as the Emmanuel Church, in the First ward. It was during his pastorate here that the Civil War broke out, and then took a firm stands against slavery and in favor of the federal government. In so doing he made some enemies but he also made hosts of friends. His sermons on the subject of slavery were pungent, and his church was crowded to the door almost an hour before the appointed time for preaching. On one occasion the church was too small to hold the vast crowd that had come to hear him. He came out of the church and using the steps in front of the church as a pulpit, thousands congregated on the street and listened to the sound logic and oratory of this man who denounced the detestable traffic in human beings. Several of his sermons, on this subject, were published in the Lehigh Patriot. To show the love and esteem in which he was held by the citizens of Allentown, it was announced that a special offering would be received for him at an evening service, and not withstanding the money stringency of the time there were contributed 117 one dollar bills by persons who were not members of his church. Some wonderful revival meetings were held in the Linden Street church resulting in the conversation of many of the best people in the city and during his pastorate the membership was trembled.

His next appointment was Reading, which was then a mission, consisting of 35 members. This was an unusually hard field, but instead of being discouraged he went about his work in a cheerful and optimistic way and at the and of two years, he had completely renovated the church, increased the membership to 150 and the charge was changed form a mission to a station.

From Reading he was sent to Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pa., and served this appointment for two years, after which he was sent to Philadelphia, where he met with extraordinary success. He conducted revival meetings, which resulted in the conversion of a large number of people. The congregation did not have a church edifice of its own but rented a place for worship. During his pastorate he collected over $12,000 toward the erection of a new church. From Philadelphia he was sent to Schuylkill Haven.

It became evident that am an of his ability would not remain in the pastorate very long, and at the close of his first years work at Schuylkill Haven, he was elected presiding elder and stationed on Pottsville District. During his first year on this district, at Hamburg, Pa., he conducted the most remarkable and most successful comp. meeting in the history of the church; almost two hundred souls were converted and that many tents were pitched and occupied. At the end of the four-year term he was re-elected and stationed on the Easton District. He not only looked after the church interests on this district but started work in New Jersey and in New York City.

Because of his successful efforts as a minister and his administrative abilities the church called him to a higher sphere of usefulness. At the General Conference held at Philadelphia, in October 1875, he was elected to the Episcopacy, which he has served longer than any other man in the history of the church. During his incumbency he has presided at all of the conferences in the US and Canada. He has made eight Episcopal visits to the European Conferences, which cover Germany, Switzerland, and Russia. In 1881, he was elected a delegate to the first Ecumenical Council of all the Protestant Religious bodies of the world, held in London, England. In 1892 he visited Japan and inspected the work of the church in that country. He has been a member of the General Board of Missions of his church uninterruptedly since 1871; he has been a member of the Board of Publication since 1872, and was president of the board for ten years; he has been a member of every General Conference of the church since 1867. He served very efficiently as president of Northwestern College, located at Naperville, Ill., for a number of years. He has been president of the board of trustees of that institution since 1888: he was principal of the Theological seminary located at Naperville, Ill, for 18 years and since 1908 has been principal emeritus. He was also elected chairman of the commissions appointed by the Evangelical Association and the United Evangelical Church to form a basis of union for the re-union of the two churches, and he has consistently labored for the accomplishment of this desired end.

Bishop Bowman possesses a strong personality, is of medium height, heavy set, and has a full-developed chest, silvery hair, a kind face and an open countenance. His gracious and dignified bearing, his frankness of mind, and his well-balanced temperament, amidst the tempestuous experiences through which he has passed, are strong characteristics of this man. He has established principles and firm opinions, but he has a like respect for the claims of others. He is a leader among men, and his well-defined plans and purposes have made him a great central figure and personage in the history of the church in which he has been an active, and honored member for nearly three score years.