October 1, 2026
COLUMBUS, Ga. — As a young man in North Georgia College’s ROTC program, Craig Bowers never imagined he’d still be in ministry 40 years later.
Bowers, senior pastor at Wynnbrook Baptist Church in Columbus, recalled telling the Lord, “You know, I'm living my dream. I'm doing what I want to do. I don't have any peace. I don't understand it.” Finally, he asked, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” And when he asked that question from a sincere heart, he said, “It was like a video playing in my mind of all these people saying to me, God's gonna make a preacher out of you one day. God's going to use you in ministry.”
God has used Bowers in five churches, four of them in Georgia: Mambrino Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas, for three years; Rowland Hills Baptist Church in Stone Mountain for six years; Carver Road Baptist Church in Griffin for six years; First Baptist Church of Locust Grove for 14 years; and Wynnbrook for the past 11 years.
Over those four decades, Bowers has carved out a ministry marked by patience, endurance, and a deep love for people. Along the way, he has learned lessons that have shaped both his leadership and his longevity.
One of the most important, he said, is understanding that hurt people often hurt people. “People respond the way they do based on their history, or to a certain extent, their history influences their response,” Bowers said. He learned that lesson after an encounter with a church member who had always been kind but suddenly became aggressively angry. “I went to her house and asked, 'What have I done? If I've done anything, I'll ask you for forgiveness.' And she didn't say a word,” Bowers said. He later learned that her son had died of AIDS, had used her credit cards to pay hospital bills, and had left her in massive debt. “I think the biggest impact that had on me was to realize that a lot of people go through things that we have no idea what they're going through,” he said. “And so the best option is responding to them with grace.”
Bowers also said a clear call from the Lord is what keeps a minister steady when difficult seasons come. “During extremely difficult seasons in ministry, I've wanted to walk away,” he said. “However, the call of God keeps you in.”
That clarity of calling has been matched by clear priorities at home. Bowers said pastors must put their marriages first. “You're not married to the church, you're married to your mate,” he said. He and his wife, Belinda, also worked to protect their children from the weight of church conflict. “My wife and I sought to completely avoid discussing church-related problems in front of our children,” Bowers said, adding that children are not equipped to handle difficult adult situations.
He also emphasized the importance of staying close to Christ through daily time in the Word. “Last year, I read the Bible through together with my wife every morning,” Bowers said. “I think personal disciplines like that, that are spiritual disciplines, keep your spirit fresh and your walk with the Lord deeper.”
At the same time, Bowers said pastors must keep ministry success in proper perspective. “We want to have as many people as possible in church. Obviously, that's a no-brainer,” he said, “but to keep it in perspective and to remember that the real win is not how many people came to church, but how many people really encountered the risen Christ.”
His understanding of leadership has changed over the years as well. Early in ministry, Bowers said, he tended to push needed changes through too quickly. Over time, he learned a better way. “When you push something that people aren't ready for, then it's going to create problems,” he said. “The truth is that what creates the problems is the push.” Now, he said, when the Lord is leading in a direction, he talks about it, explains it, and patiently casts the vision.
Bowers has many memories from the past 40 years, but one stands out in particular. He recalls a revival service in which one of his mentors preached, and 14 people were saved in a single night. Most of them were members of a baseball team his son played on and were around 12 years old. Afterward, Bowers encouraged the church to truly celebrate what God had done. “That was a moment I'll never forget in my life,” he said.
The congregation responded immediately. “Someone whistled, somebody else shouted, and the applause went on for it seemed like 10 minutes,” Bowers said. “I'm sure it was just a couple of minutes, but it was a breakthrough moment.” From then on, he said, every baptism and every salvation was met with spontaneous applause. “That was huge,” he added.
Bowers believes his ministry has endured in part because his sense of worth has never been rooted in the role itself. “My faith is not rooted in being a pastor. I'm a pastor because of my faith,” he said. “There's a big difference there.” He added, “My faith is based on my private, personal relationship with Jesus.”
He also credits his longevity to having an accountability partner willing to tell him what he does not want to hear, while still offering encouragement. And he said part of staying healthy in ministry is knowing when to step away for a time. Bowers enjoys traveling and woodworking, often picking up projects and home renovations. “I enjoy working with my hands,” he said. He also treasures time with Belinda, their three grown children, and four grandchildren.
Mark Marshall, senior lead strategist for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, said Bowers is the kind of pastor whose character helps explain his longevity. He described him as a strong, highly relational leader who genuinely loves his people. “That's what gives you longevity in ministry,” Marshall said. “A lot of times you just gotta love the people God's given you to shepherd. And that's what Craig does really well. He's a good leader and strategic thinker. Those have all been good characteristics for him to have.”
Bowers shows no signs of slowing down or retiring. “I'm thinking that I will continue to do what I'm doing until I sense His release,” he said. He is currently leading Wynnbrook through ReFocus, a process Marshall said has further revealed Bowers’ servant-hearted leadership.
“When you go through the ReFocus process, you get a chance to know those guys really well,” Marshall said. “He has real servant leadership. He gives others the opportunity to speak into the process. He's genuinely interested in what the other leaders’ view of things is going to be. He's very humble in terms of his leadership.”
In Marshall’s view, Bowers’ ministry can be summed up in three qualities: patience, perseverance, and a genuine love for people.
Share with others
