Rev. Isaac Daniel BOWMAN

Isaac and Addie were m. 28 Aug 1879. She was from Port Republic, VA (assume that's where they were married). Isaac was a travelling evangelist for the First Brethren denomination and Milton remembered he would often be gone for extended periods, creating some challenges for his wife and family. Son Milton's 2 older daughters accepted Christ at one of Isaac's children's meetings.

In 1880, Isaac united with the Congregational Brethren in what became the Mt. Olive, VA, congregation of the Brethren Church. The Congregational Brethren joined with the Progressive Brethren in 1883 to form the Brethren Church. Isaac began preaching at the Washington Co., MD congregation. While there, he held revival services in surrounding areas with very good results.

Isaac entered Ashland College Jan 1889. He served as pastor of the Ankenytown and Louisville, OH, churches on alternate Sundays. Ashland College had financial problems and was on the verge of bankruptcy. George W. RENCH and Isaac solicited many Brethren churches and raised the necessary funds. Ashland College later recognized his services by awarding him a DD degree.

Isaac was called to the Brethren Church at 10th and Dauphin Sts. in Philadelphia, where he was pastor, 1892-1900 (copastor with Louis S. Bauman, 1900). During that year the Bauman family lived on one floor of Isaac's 3-story home. They took turns holding revival meetings among the churches with remarkable success. Isaac decided to start a new mission church in South Philadelphia. At 17th and McKean Sts. he found a store building across from a vacant lot. During the summer, he pitched a tent on the lot and held continuous meetings until fall. Participants moved the services into the store, and the Whole Gospel Mission Brethren Church was born. A basement church was built on the lot. Later a roof garden was built on the basement for summer use, and finally a beautiful stone church was erected. 12 ministers were ordained from this congregation. An average of 15 services a week were held including cottage prayer meetings, Bible studies and street meetings.

Isaac encouraged persons from various ethnic groups to come to church and often invited black people for meals in his home (unheard of at the time). He was alert for young men who might become preachers and encouraged and helped in their training. Many Bible studies were held especially for them. Isaac believed that both organized and unorganized methods should be used to advance church growth. The latter method was to teach the laity not only to witness but also to start new churches. To Isaac, the "laying on of hands" was more than a symbol; it meant that the gift of the Holy Spirit actually came into the heart of the person by faith and prayer. This gave dynamic power to preach, witness and spread the gospel. Although he encouraged students to get formal training, he believed that persons who had received gifts from the Holy Spirit did not necessarily need formal education. 20 new churches were started under his ministry with little or no help from the Brethren Missionary Board. He encouraged 20 men to enter the ministry.

Isaac loved to study and lecture on prophecy. He believed in the imminent return of Christ but was opposed to setting dates. He often recalled that "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Pet. 3:8; KJV)." He was convinced that true Christians, living at Christ's return, would be caught up before the Great Tribulation. In the early 20th century a common belief was that the world was too civilized to go to war and that "every day in every way things are getting better." Isaac took issue with this belief and correctly predicted everywhere he went that a great world war would erupt soon and that the USA would be involved. He put great emphasis on obedience, believing that faith without works (of faith) is dead and a dead faith never saved anyone.

During the 36 years of his long ministry, Isaac preached an average of 350 sermons a year and converted about 5000 persons to Jesus Christ. He read the entire Bible through 33 times and read the New Testament more than 100 times. He often studied from 9am until midnight. He wrote the following tracts: The Apostolic Church; Baptism of Repentance; The Design of Baptism; Fourth Principle of the Doctrine of Christ (Laying on of Hands); Free Grace; Grace and Obedience; Repentance; Why the Apostolic Church?; a pamphlet, Dowieism Exposed; and a booklet entitled Gospel Church Polity.

Isaac believed that no form of church government works perfectly, but that simple congregational government works best, especially if the church seeks divine unity in prayer. He tried very hard to get the church leaders to pray all night and even longer if necessary to avoid the division in the Brethren Church that occurred in 1939.

During the last 14 years of his life, Isaac lived in Brighton, IN, with his daughter, Bessie GROVE. While there he made one final trip of four months, travelling as far as California among the Brethren churches. John BOWMAN, a grandson, drove him and said that he was well received everywhere. Both Isaac and Addie were buried at the Brighton Chapel Cemetery in Brighton. In a tribute at Isaac's funeral, Claud Studebaker noted that the early years of Isaac's ministry coincided with the beginning of the Brethren Church. For Isaac, "the Word of God was [the] final authority and he sought to teach it in its purity and power. His life and ministry [have] been a benediction to all who came under his preaching and counsel."

Sources: Family stories and Listing of Brethren ministers. Isaac's entry was written by JMB (son Milton?) and references BE (4 Jan 1930) 14, (19 Aug 1933) 7, 16, (4 Nov 1939) 16, (6 May 1903) 1, (11 Apr 1953) 8-10; A. T. Ronk, History BC (1968) index; R. Harlan, J. A. Dowie (1906) 72-73.