A Catalytic Gift for Formation and Public Witness

FEBRUARY 10, 2026

Thankful for the Generosity that Helps Leaders Grow and Communities Flourish

Reverend Dr. Gilbert Bowen

Rev. Dr. William Evertsberg

With deep gratitude, we celebrate a generous gift—an expression of partnership that helps sustain McCormick’s mission.

On January 13, McCormick received a $50,000 gift from the Gilbert and Marlene Bowen Christian Outreach Fund, made through Kenilworth Union Church —building on an earlier $15,000 contribution from the same fund. Together, these gifts do more than keep the lights on; they light the way for students and ministries that carry hope into neighborhoods, hospitals, congregations, and the public square.

What does that look like on the ground? It looks like a scholarship that makes seminary possible for a first-generation pastor. It looks like a field-education placement where a student learns to preach the Good News and organize a food-justice partnership in the same week. It looks like the resources to equip a chaplain for trauma-informed care, or a toolkit that helps a church welcome immigrant neighbors with dignity. Gifts like this move from classroom to community at the speed of calling.

We offer special thanks to Rev. Dr. William Evertsberg, recently retired minister of Kenilworth Union Church and a longtime friend of McCormick, who faithfully served on our Board of Trustees for ten years and helped steward this support.

Established in 2007 to honor the Bowens’ lifelong commitment to Christian outreach, the fund has contributed more than $1.5 million to organizations engaged in meaningful, transformative work. We are honored to be among them — and grateful for our enduring connection through Gilbert Bowen and his son, Steve Bowen, a current McCormick trustee.

To the Bowen Christian Outreach Fund and Kenilworth Union Church: thank you. Your generosity is catalytic — sustaining programs, strengthening formation, and sending leaders into a world that needs courage, compassion, and public witness. Because of partners like you, McCormick can continue forming women and men who preach with clarity, serve with tenderness, and lead with justice.