When Josh Bowers graduated from high school, he dreamed of going to med school to become an orthopedic surgeon. But a mission trip to Ecuador changed his plans. “While there, I realized God had a design and purpose for my life and that things weren't just about a list of rules or dos and don'ts,” Josh says. “I still was a little stubborn. I recognized God calling me into ministry, but I was going to do it my way.”

Josh started college as a pre-med major, determined to become a medical missionary to other countries. But he was so miserable during his first semester he knew he couldn’t finish. “Apparently, God wanted me to do things his way,” Josh says. Following the advice of his pastor, he transferred to Mid-American Christian University in Oklahoma City.

Today, Josh, 27, serves as a chaplain for District 14 of the Iowa State Patrol and pastor of Ottumwa First Church of God. Josh says his ministry is about reaching out to two groups of people: families and law enforcement. “I want to work with those two groups, and I especially want to be found working where those two groups intersect.” Josh says. “The church does a lot of good work ministering to children and families, but I think we need to do more in teaching moms how to be good wives and mothers and teaching dads how to be good husbands and fathers.”

Josh says law enforcement families have to deal with a lot of stress because of long hours and the dangerous nature of the work, leading to high rates of divorce, suicide, and abuse. “I want to be there to help them work through those problems,” Josh says. “Let’s face it: We owe our lives to these men and women who keep us safe. We need to help them in any way possible.”

Josh says he finds encouragement in 1 Corinthians 3 where Paul talks about planting seed so Apollos could water it, so God could make it grow. “I see myself as filling the gap where some other pastors need help,” Josh says. “A lot of law enforcement has to miss church—and eventually start to miss their spiritual lives—because of the hours they work. I want to fill the gap for others so they can do their job better. For those who have no relationship with God, I hope my witness and friendship can lead us down that road.” 

As a pastor, one message Josh tries to communicate is that every person has a job to do. He says he hopes he’s setting an example through his work with the State Patrol. “My church has come to see the chaplaincy as one of their ministries,” he says. “They can't be in the car with me, but they pray for the troops, and we are planning various ways to honor them.  I just hope they’re smiling and saying ‘thank you’ when they get pulled over.”

One of the defining moments of Josh’s ministry occurred when he was serving a small church in Oklahoma. The church couldn’t pay much, and Josh’s wife, Jonda, was still finishing her last semester of college. He says money was so tight at one point that they didn’t know how they were going to keep their lights on.

“We prayed about it a lot, kept paying our tithe—which I thought we couldn't afford—and out of the blue I got a letter from my home church in Tennessee with a check for almost the exact amount of the electric bill,” he says. “Now, I don't buy into prosperity theology, but God showed me there that he can take care of his people when they trust him for their needs.”

And God has provided for Josh and Jonda. Today, they have a two-year-old son named Jamie. “We have a very close relationship; we do everything together,” Josh says. One of the biggest challenges Josh faces is finding enough time to fit everything in. “I see my community as my mission field, and in so doing, I see so much work that needs to be done. I just don't have the time to get it all done.”

There may not be enough time in a day for Josh to complete everything he wants to do. And he may be one of the few people on the State Patrol staff who doesn’t carry a weapon (although the word of God is described in Ephesians as the “sword of the Spirit.”) But one thing’s for sure: He’s impacting many people’s lives through his ministry. As Josh says, “I have to let my witness show here and hope that somehow God will use it.”