Meet Our Staff
Pastor
Rev. David Bowman
Rev. David Bowman
The Rev. David Bowman is the Pastor of Slackwood Presbyterian Church, where he leads worship, administers the Sacraments, preaches, provides leadership, and provides pastoral care and visitation. He also offers resources and guidance to the church leadership, leads Bible Study, and works with the youth. David earned his Master of Divinity degree in 1984 from Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament/Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) that same year. Since then, he has served in congregations across Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, PA, as well as Freehold, NJ. Most recently, he worked as the Pastoral Ministries Manager at Seabrook, a large continuing care retirement community in Tinton Falls, NJ, for 17 years. He also served as Parish Associate at Plumsted Presbyterian Church in New Egypt, NJ. Raised in Newville, a small town in South Central Pennsylvania, David 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 was part of Slackwood Church during his time in Seminary at Princeton, and he is excited to rejoin the Slackwood church community. He is dedicated to assisting others in living their best lives and becoming the individuals God intends them to be. Additionally, he loves preaching, singing with the choir, leading Bible study, and participating in a vibrant, loving, and accepting community of the faithful!
Director of Music
Dr. Shelley Sanders Zuckerman
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.
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.