Rev. David Bowman serves as the Pastor of Slackwood Presbyterian Church. His responsibilities include providing worship leadership, preaching, administering Sacraments, pastoral care and visitation, as well as offering resources and guidance to the church's leadership. leading Bible Study and working with the church's youth. David obtained his Master of Divinity degree in 1984 from Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained as Minister of the Word and Sacrament/Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in the same year. Since his ordination, David has served congregations in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, PA, and Freehold, NJ. Most recently, he was the Pastoral Ministries Manager at Seabrook, a large continuing care retirement community in Tinton Falls, NJ, where he served for 17 years. Additionally, he was Parish Associate at Plumsted Presbyterian Church in New Egypt, NJ. David was born and raised in Newville, a small town in South Central Pennsylvania, and received his Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA.
David is the father of one married daughter, Rebecca (Leah) Sprague, and grandfather of Calloway Bowman Sprague, born in August of 2022; Rebecca and her family live in Denver, CO. He and his husband, Khvicha (Richard), live on a small farm in New Egypt, NJ, where they care for a variety of animals, including horses, sheep, goats, donkeys, ostriches, emus, and peacocks. Richard is a private duty nurse working with clients in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, NJ.
David attended Slackwood Church when he was in Seminary at Princeton and is happy to be part of the Slackwood church community again. He has a passion for helping people live their best lives, to be the people God has created them to be. In addition, he enjoys preaching, singing with the choir, leading bible study, and being part of a living, loving, accepting community of the faithful!
Director of Music Dr. Shelley Sanders Zuckerman
The director of music, Shelley Sanders Zuckerman, is a life-long Presbyterian who brings to Slackwood a deep love of ministry through liturgy and music. She has degrees in organ and choral conducting from the College of Wooster and Drake University, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Liturgical Studies from Drew University. Shelley (“Dr. Z” at school) teaches full-time at Doane Academy in Burlington, NJ, where she works with elementary students (grades PK3 through 5) in classroom music, and with middle and high school students (grades 6 - 12) in Concert Choir.
She is married to her partner of seventeen years, Tara Rockafellow Perigny, who teaches fifth grade in Hamilton NJ. They raised two daughters, Anna Cecilia and Helen Frances Zuckerman, and they love hiking, cooking, and playing with their “ark” of dogs and cats. Shelley is committed to congregational music as a means of Christian formation and discipleship. From dancing before the ark, to standing in awe on holy ground, to being balm in a wounded world, we at Slackwood seek to live out life as the body of Christ in our music.