
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 5, 1990                   TAG: 9004040912
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

THE REV. GEORGE K. BOWERS, RETIRED PASTOR

The Rev. George K. Bowers, retired pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, is expected to become the next president of the interfaith Roanoke Valley Ministers Conference.

If, as expected, his nomination is confirmed at the May meeting of the conference, Bowers will become the first minister retired from full- time status to become president of the 65-year-old group.

He left the Old Southwest parish in 1985 after a 20-year pastorate.

Since then Bowers has remained active in the conference, particularly as liaison to its institutional chaplaincy program. The conference, through the separate chaplaincy board, employs and funds the work of the Rev. Richard Harris, who serves inmates of Roanoke city and county jails and residents of the public nursing home at Coyner Springs.

Bowers and other prospective officers for 1990-91 were nominated at Monday's meeting of the conference at Second Presbyterian Church. Their election will take place at the annual retreat May 7 at Camp Bethel.

Others expected to take office are: Kirk Ballin, Unitarian-Universalist; Steven Teague, Calvary Baptist, and Anna Marie Canary, Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic, vice presidents for programs and membership respectively; Gerald Stone, Campbell Memorial Presbyterian, and Harris, a Lutheran, secretaries, and James W. Reynolds Jr., Raleigh Court United Methodist, treasurer.

The conference includes many professional church staff members as well as ordained pastors of churches.

by CNB