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AUSTIN—J. Kie Bowman, senior pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church and The Quarries Church, announced plans to transition from his pastoral role in March of 2023, following 25 years at the Austin church.
Bowman told congregants in a special video announcement that being called as senior pastor of Hyde Park in 1997 was “the greatest privilege” he had ever been offered.
“I have loved every minute of this journey, and I still love it today,” the pastor said.
He explained that his decision had been in process for a few years, beginning during the COVID lockdowns, and was the product of “diligent prayer.”
Bowman described the church’s upcoming process of transition, noting that a pastoral search committee would be assembled, a rarity in the congregation’s history, as the 126-year-old Austin church has had only two senior pastors during the past 62 years.
Referencing current cultural challenges, Bowman said, “This is not a time for delay or a season to retreat. Times like these make us realize there is an urgency about fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ,” exhorting the church to seize the “God-sized” opportunities ahead.
“We must continue to do all we can to share Christ with our city and beyond,” he urged.
Bowman’s pastoral vision for Hyde Park in 1997 was threefold: lead as many people to Christ as possible, faithfully teach the Bible, and lead the church to become a praying church. Almost 10,000 people became members of HPBC during his tenure—with half of those coming by baptism. In 2007, Hyde Park became a multi-site church when Bowman led it to launch a second campus at The Quarries, the church’s 57-acre recreational park in North Austin.
In addition to his time in the pulpit, Bowman has authored six books and contributed to 13 others. His prayer literature has been read by more than 1 million people. In 2018, he was chosen to preach the keynote sermon at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Dallas.
Additionally, he served more than a decade on the executive board of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, including two terms as president in 2020 and 2021. Jim Richards, SBTC executive director during Bowman’s presidency, said, “[A]s he completes his tenure as lead pastor of Hyde Park, I marvel at the work God has done through him. He is as passionate today about getting people to Jesus as he was 30 years ago. His commitment to prayer is an inspiration.”
While leaving the pastorate, Bowman is not retiring from ministry. He will continue his work as an author, speaker, and leader in the interdenominational Unceasing Prayer Movement in Austin (austinprays.org).
