Distinguished alumni

Rev. Bob Bouwer Distinguished Service to Humankind

Bouwer, a 1984 graduate of Northwestern College, earned a Master of Divinity degree at Western Theological Seminary. As senior pastor of Faith Church (Reformed Church in America) in Dyer, Ind., he helped members shift their focus from personal preferences to biblical principles. Average weekend attendance has grown from 275 in the early 1990s to more than 5,000 people who meet in six locations throughout northwest Indiana today.

Bouwer is a co-author of The U-Turn Church: New Direction for Health and Growth. With a heart for encouraging struggling church leaders and reaching the spiritually disconnected, he is the executive founder of the Ravines Retreat Center in Lowell, IN, and of U-Turn Ministries, which offers conferences and consulting services to churches. He also serves on the board for Words of Hope, which broadcasts the gospel in the languages of the world’s people.

Award year: 2012