Capt. Jennifer Bowden knew she wanted to work with the Coast Guard since the day her parents took her to a Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven, Michigan during a summer break from college more than 30 years ago.
“It was in 1992 or 1993, when I was looking at ways to do my ministry,” Bowden said. “I thought I’d found it. But the guy there told me, ‘Sorry, we don’t have chaplains in the Coast Guard. They come from the Navy Chaplain Corps.’”
So perhaps it’s fitting that Bowden has now become, not only the 13th Chaplain of the Coast Guard, when she replaced outgoing Chaplain, Capt. Daniel Mode in July 2024, but also the first woman in the role.
“I’m just so excited,” she said, as she moved into her office this week. “My heart has always been with the Coast Guard. I love its mission; I love the spirit by which the men and women here do their jobs. It’s so amazing to watch them in action and I’m glad to be back to work with them!”
The fact that God — at least initially — appears to have had other plans has only prepared her, she said. Bowden went on to graduate from Middle Tennessee State University in 1994 and earned a master’s in divinity from Emory University in 1998. After she was ordained in the United Methodist Church (North Georgia Conference) as an Elder in 2001, she did join the Navy, where she was sworn in shortly after 9/11.
As a Navy Chaplain, Bowden served around the world in a variety of Navy and Marine Corps Commands. This included deployments to Iraq, Japan, and throughout the Pacific. She’s also no stranger to the Coast Guard. Her first posting was in 2004 at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. In addition, she’s served at First Coast Guard District, Sector Southeastern New England, and most recently as Coast Guard District Eight Chaplain. Along the way, she earned her Doctorate in Ministry at Wesley Seminary in 2015.
Over her 23-year career, Bowden has promoted moral leadership and amassed incredible pastoral experience. She assisted survivors of Hurricanes Guam and Hurricane Katrina. After the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, she offered counseling and pastoral services to Coast Guard first responders and others who witnessed the tragic events. A year later, Bowden was on-hand in Oso, Washington after a mudslide disaster took 43 lives, including a Navy commander, his wife, and a Naval chief and three of their four children.
Bowden arrived in Washington, DC, from Coronado, California, where she was Force Chaplain, Commander Naval Air Forces. “It was the smoothest PCS I’ve ever had,” she said, noting the transition from receiving news of her selection to reporting happened in just 6 weeks. Her plan is to hit the ground running, allowing some downtime to move into her new residence at Joint Base Anacostia/Bolling (JBAB). “At the office I’ve been going around meeting everyone I can possibly meet,” she says.
In her new role, she’ll lead a team of active duty, reserve, and auxiliary chaplains throughout the Coast Guard dedicated to serving the moral, spiritual, and mental health needs of the workforce and their families. With all that has been going on, from the workforce shortage to the Strengthening Service Culture campaign, Bowden agreed it is an interesting time to come back to the Coast Guard.
The goal, or the “North star,” of all Navy Chaplains, she added, is to increase spiritual readiness across the services. “Given what we’re going through I’m really excited to see what we as chaplains will be able to do to help,” she said.
And by spiritual, Bowden isn’t necessarily referring to religion. She encourages everyone to reach out and promises to meet you where you are. “I believe that all people are spiritual beings, whether you express that spirit through a particular faith or another avenue,” she said. “I’m here to help you on your path however I can.”
Her call sign is “Lady Chaps.” But that doesn’t mean Bowden will spend a lot of time dwelling on being the first female chaplain. “I’m super excited for the opportunity,” she said. “But I’m even more excited for the women coming after me that we’re getting rid of ’the first’ and normalizing this job for women. Now it will just be like any other job.”
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