There are many words that describe Unadilla First Baptist Church’s Eddie Lee Bowen in Georgia. Servant-hearted, humble and unwavering come to mind.
She has been those things for more than 50 years while serving in children’s ministry at UFBC. Through Bible stories, songs and prayers, she has pointed generations of children to Jesus Christ.
The church honored Bowen on July 5 for her commitment to multiple generations of children. Bowen likes to stay in the background, which made the public recognition a surprise.
‘A lot of people standing’
“I asked people to stand up in the service who were impacted, and there were a lot of people standing up,” Unadilla Senior Pastor Mark Grinsted said.
Bowen said she is thankful her loving and forgiving Savior, Jesus Christ, gave her the opportunity to teach children.
“He’s always there for me, and He has all the answers and is in control,” she said. “I just thank God for supporting me and believing in me, and the church believing in me, and just the joy that it’s brought to my life.”
Originally from Unadilla, Bowen and her husband lived around the country, as well as in Japan, while he served in the United States Air Force. They did not have children of their own, though many people tell her otherwise.
“They say I have a lot,” Bowen said. “I guess I do.”
Bowen has always loved children and said yes immediately when she was asked to serve. She helped care for nieces and nephews, took them to church, and treated them as her own. One nephew is now a church deacon.
Children love Bowen, too, and care about her. Bowen recalled a little boy who came up to her crying because she was running late and he was worried about her.
“Things like that just bless you,” she said.
Bowen said she treats each child the same.
“I wanted them to learn about Jesus,” she said. “I want everyone that comes into my classroom to have a chance to know the Lord.”
That desire continues to bear fruit, Grinsted said. Recently, three girls gave their lives to Christ during Vacation Bible School and were baptized, decisions he connected to Bowen’s years of faithful children’s church teaching.
Many adults can look back and remember sitting in her class, learning God’s Word, and experiencing Christ’s love through her faithful example.
More than a childhood memory
For Clay Kernell, Bowen’s ministry was not simply a childhood memory. It helped shape his faith for decades. Bowen taught Kernell, 51, in Sunday school when he was 6.
“Some of my very first memories of church were with Mrs. Eddie Lee,” he said. “I just remember her always making me feel welcome and always making me feel like I was special and important.”
Her influence stayed with him.
“I’ve had times in my life where maybe I wasn’t living the way I should, but I attribute my coming back to the Lord to, one, my mom; two, my grandmother; and three, Mrs. Eddie Lee,” he said.
Kernell described Bowen as a model of what it means to serve the Lord.
“There’s a lot of times when you’re a kid, and you kind of feel overlooked,” he said. “I always felt like she listened to what I had to say and she was considerate of my feelings and things like that, where a lot of adults don’t really give you that attention all the time.”
Vacation Bible School Director Stephanie Smith and Kernell’s wife, Lisa, took over the children’s ministry from Bowen. Both had been part of a six-person rotation of children’s church teachers that included Bowen.
“Will we ever be able to do what Miss Eddie Lee did for them? I pray so,” Smith said. “She’s a hard act to follow.”
Bowen has impacted Smith’s family in many ways, including showing up at her children’s baseball games.
“She’s always been there for both of our boys. You’re grateful that you know her,” an emotional Smith said. “She invests so much time in everybody’s lives that it just impacts you that hard.”
‘A little cloud of children’ around her
Lisa Kernell said anytime people see Bowen, she has “a little cloud of children” around her giving her hugs.
“They flock to her,” she said.
Lisa Kernell said she does not know if her husband would be where he is today if it were not for Bowen.
Grinsted said Bowen loves children unconditionally, no matter how rough and tumble they are.
“She just had a way with them, and they just love her like a granny,” he said.
Grinsted said there were days when Bowen would have one child and treat that child like a whole class. When she had several, she gave each of them one-on-one attention.
Although she is no longer the children’s ministry director, Bowen will continue to teach her Sunday school class for 6- to 8-year-olds.
“It’s been fun. It’s been a blessing, and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world,” Bowen said.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Jason Queen and originally published by the Christian Index.
