How Pastor Joseph S. Bowman IV Merges Legacy, Leadership, and Vision for a New Generation

By Tammy Reese | Tuesday, July 29, 2025 | 9:00 AM EDT

There are leaders who build churches and then there are those who build cities. Pastor Joseph S. Bowman IV walks a fine line between both, with a heart that burns for people, a mind wired for strategy, and a soul anchored in legacy. As a third-generation pastor, civic collaborator, and family man, he has redefined what it means to live a life of vision and purpose.

At 50, Pastor Bowman isn’t slowing down, he’s shifting. “It’s time to ease into the role of the sage,” he says, not as a man growing old, but as a man growing deep. With over 20 years of pastoral leadership and a resume that threads through the corridors of city policy, community transformation, and deeply personal family testimonies, Pastor Joe (as he’s affectionately called) carries a message for this generation: Your purpose must be something you’re willing to die for, defend fiercely, and define daily.

As a pastor, community leader, and family man, how do you balance your various roles while staying true to your purpose?

Pastor Bowman: It can be complicated at times. I categorize God, Family, Church, and Community. Each of them is constantly making demands on my time, energy, and effort. What I’ve learned is, be reasonable available and present for each of them daily. This allows for the moments when one of them demands more time and effort than the others, it’s unlikely that any of the pods feel neglected. Unfortunately, the one that often goes neglected is ME. So I make it a priority to have “ME” time on Fridays!

We understand you are currently undergoing a rebrand. What does that look like for you?

Pastor Bowman: At 50, I feel its time for me to ease into the role of the sage. We all know age is just a number. Consequently, many of the forefathers and prevalent leaders from my upbring are aging out and dying. I want to be sure that relevance and wisdom collide as the next generation evolves. I feel responsible to ensure the impact manifests.

Can you tell us more about your recent works, including “The Promise Prematurely Delayed” and “Master The Bait”? How do these reflect your vision and purpose?

Pastor Bowman: The Promise: is a testimonial that speaks to the power of prayer, the perils of infertility and the journey of supporting our 24-week premature baby son in the NICU for 105 days. This “guidepost” is a true demonstration of the supremacy of God, the presence of love; shared by a couple in a tough moment and the undefeatable peace guided by patience.

Master The Bait Men’s Devotional: Birthed a righteous indignation as the vast majority of Christian material for men is wrapped around “Iron sharpening Iron”, “Porn Addiction or “Husbands Love Your Wives as Christ Loved The Church”. While all of these are noble and scripturally based; we also need to speak to, as I was being sharpened, some places in my soul were still left dull. As for porn, let’s talk about the cousin stayed over one weekend, brought his collection of magazines and videos, which left me craving a fanaticized idea of what it means to engage with a woman as a vessel of honor rather than an object. As a husband, I absolutely desire to give my wife my all, just like Jesus gave his life — but my aspiration to be a model husband, loving father, valiant leader, often leaves me exhausted — and guess what y’all — I ain’t JESUS! Bad grammar intended!

“Master The Bait”, was penned to my sons, while my father was on his death bed. These are conversations I wish I could have had with my dad and his dad to better understand myself and others.

What was the primary vision behind establishing Integrity Life Church, and how has that vision evolved over the years?

Pastor Bowman: Real People, Real Life, Real Love is our model to this day. We purposed to create a place of worship, where people could discover God in a REAL way. Our mission pushes to keep forward the notion that all of us have issues, however, we will only heal and mend from the platform of transparency without judgement. As a 3rd generation pastor, I watched people come “in and out” of church, always trying to fix themselves before returning to a loving Father. We believe building an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ is the main ingredient! Meaning, you return as you are and together with Him the modifications follow.

Can you share some of the most impactful community initiatives you’ve championed with others? What drives your passion for these projects?

Pastor Bowman: Contributed to building the verbiage for the School District’s Equity Policy.

EBT Access at The Federal Way Farmer’s Market & Leisure tables and chairs for citizens to enjoy the market.

Opening the Library on Weekends for Non-Traditional Students at the College.

Inauguration Team for annual Juneteenth Flag Raising at City Hall.

The Day Center — Creating a space for laundry and shelter for the un-housed.

How do you envision the role of faith-based organizations in addressing the needs of the community, and what strategies have you found effective in fostering collaboration?

Pastor Bowman: Often, I find that faith-based organizations trail on the initiatives that solely inspire their cause and purpose. I gained to deeper traction by speaking with the civic leaders and partnering with organizations already doing great work. The faith-based world tends to awaken to an inspiration, over, initiatives set in motion by the civic leadership. I remember asking the mayor, how can our volunteers best serve the city? The answer was daunting –“I would cherish if your team of folks would paint over the graffiti written on the community fences along one of the city’s busiest streets. WOW, I would have never guessed his desire in 1 million attempts. That was over 12 years ago and the picture captured of our youth painting that fence, is still hanging in his office today!

What advice would you give to others seeking to discover their own vision and purpose in life?

Pastor Bowman: Minus the cliché, YOU MUST BE WILLING TO DIE, DEFEND, and DEFINE it. If you can’t pledge to this extreme. I challenge you to go deeper!

How can we follow you online?

Pastor Bowman: Integrity4life.org — Web

Pastorjoe@integrity4life.org -E-mail

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Owner of Visionary Minds Public Relations and Media, Tammy Reese is an award-winning writer and journalist best known for landing major interviews with Angela Bassett, Sharon Stone, Sigourney Weaver, Laurence Fishburne, Geena Davis, Billy Porter, Morris Chestnut, Nelly, Mona Scott Young, Giancarlo Esposito, Luke Evans, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jennifer Connelly, Joseph Sikora, Meagan Good, Leon, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Phylicia Rashad, Omar Epps, Courtney Kemp, Vivica A Fox, Ryan Coogler, and so many more.

She is a proud member of ForbesBLK as well as New York Women in Film and Television.

Other articles by Tammy Reese in Vision & Purpose LifeStyle Magazine.

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