Pastor
Pastor Timothy E. Sowers, born in 1958, is a native of Atchison, Kansas, where he attended elementary and high school. He later graduated from Concordia College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and entered the Seminary at Concordia in St. Louis, Missouri. He was ordained in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod in 1985 and served as Parish Pastor at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Olmsted, Illinois (1985 – 1987), and Eternal Trinity Lutheran Church, Milton, Florida (1988-1991).
Pastor Sowers was commissioned as a Chaplain First Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1991. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2013 after 22 years of active-duty service. Since his retirement, he has served Lutheran congregations as a vacancy pastor at Panama City Beach, Pensacola, FL, and Lillian, AL.
While serving as Chaplain, he deployed to Afghanistan (2009-2010) and Iraq (2005-2006 & 2007-2008) twice. Additionally, he provided pastor care to Infantry, Artillery, Signal, and numerous support units in Germany, Korea, and installations in the United States, including Fort Benning, GA, Fort Stewart, GA, Fort Hood, TX, and Fort Polk, LA. He retired as Deputy Command Chaplain for the Army Materiel Command, Huntsville, AL. His awards and decorations include two Bronze Stars, five Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, two Meritorious Unit Commendations, and numerous other certificates and awards. Additionally, he was recognized as the Honor Graduate, Family Life Training (Fort Hood, TX), and Military Outstanding Volunteer of the Year (Mannheim, Germany). He is a member of the Order of Titus (U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains), and the Order of Saint Martin of Tours (Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod)
Pastor Sowers holds a Master of Divinity Degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri; Masters in Counseling Psychology, from the Texas A & M University System at Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas; Masters in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma, Norman Oklahoma; Masters in Sociology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Doctor of Education (EdD) from the University of West Florida, Pensacola FL.
Pastor Sowers has been married to the former Kim Schwarz of Torrance, California, since 1978. Kim is a retired Physical Education Teacher from Rhodes Elementary School. Their daughter and granddaughter live in Milton, FL.