Bowen Baptist Association

Rev. Tim VanLandingham and wife, Brenda

Bro. Tim and Mrs. Brenda have been married since 1991. They met while Bro. Tim was serving at his first church, which was in the same association where Mrs. Brenda’s dad served as a pastor. They have three children: David, who lives in Macon, GA and works with Central Georgia Tech as the Director of Research and Compliance; Hannah, who lives in Cairo and works with Southern Regional Technical College in Thomasville as a Full-Time Tutor; and Rebekah, who is a senior at the Baptist College of Florida as an English Major with ESL as her focus.

Through more than thirty years in the pastorate, Bro. Tim has served four churches in South Central and Southwest Georgia. He and Mrs. Brenda enjoy engaging people with the Gospel and serving Christ by serving others. They have also enjoyed ministering alongside other pastors and wives and look forward to Bro. Tim serving the Bowen Association as a pastor to pastors. Bro. Tim and Mrs. Brenda know that Christ has much in store for our churches to accomplish together and look forward to being partners in the Gospel in Bowen and beyond.

Rev. Arnaldo González and wife Luz M. González

Bro. González is origanlly from New York City and his wife is from Vieques P.R.  They have 4 children: Leila, Elisabet, Lilianna and Arnaldo, Jr, and one granddaughter, Mariela Grace.

They have been in the Bainbridge area since June of 1995.  The Hispanic work, Christo Te Ama,  first began in the Donalsonville area reaching out to migrant workers and later moved to Bainbridge.

Rev. Jesus Bocanegra and wife, Yashira

Pastor Jesus Bocanegra and his wife Yashira met at Cristo te Ama in 1999.  They married in May 2005 and have two children, Julie and Jared Seth.  He currently is a bi-vocational pastor, pastoring our second and newest Hispanic Mission, Nueva Vida, as well as working with seasonal and migrant agricultural workers, and has been since June 2008.  Since 2004, he has been secularly employed at the Georgia Farm Worker Health Clinic as Administrative Support III and Certified HealthCare Interpreter-Spanish.

Rev. Bernard Burke and wife, Cherise

Pastor Bernard Burke and his wife Cherise were married in 1986 and have three children; Meia, Valarie and Bernard Jr.  Both are natives of Bainbridge and graduates of Bainbridge High School.  Pastor Burke has an Associates of Divinity from Southeastern Bible College in Wake Forest, NC.  He has also received a Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, Religion and Social Science from Liberty University.  He is the pastor of the Bride of Christ Baptist Church.  He and his wife have a strong desire to see others come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that is what led them back to Bainbridge.

Rev. Bradley Crews and wife, Kelly

Rev. Bradley Crews and his wife Kelly both grew up in the Donalsonville area and both graduated from Seminole County High School.  They both attended college at Armstrong State University in Savannah, GA.  They married in May of 2000 and have lived in Jakin, Ga since then.  In the Fall of 2013, Bradley began serving as the campus minister for Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Bainbridge State College on behalf of the Bowen Baptist Association.  They meet each Monday during the Fall and Spring Semesters and provide a free meal to all students who wish to attend, followed by a time of worship, Bible study and prayer.  Other activities are planned throughout the semester to reach out and minister on the campus. Bradley presently serves as the Youth Director at First Baptist Church in Blakely, Ga.

2022-2023 Directors

Moderator: Rev. John Crisp

Vice Moderator: Rev. David Roland

Treasurer: Perry Henry

Alpha Pregnancy Center: Jujuan Bowen

BCM: Bradley Crews

Men's Ministry: Dr. Ernie Jones

Associational Missions Coordinator: Terry Bell

Music: 

Senior Adults: 

Sunday School: 

VBS: 

WMU: Leanne Guest

Youth: Rev. Steve Brooks

Georgia Baptist Executive Committee: Rev. Cory Thomas

Disaster Relief: Carl Lunsford