Biography of Neil H. Bowles, C.S.B.

Neil H. Bowles, C.S.B.

Neil H. Bowles served the Cause of Christian Science in numerous capacities for many decades. Mr. Bowles was a Christian Science Wartime Minister in World War II and was a Christian Science Practitioner and Teacher as well as Committee on Publication for Georgia.

Mr. Bowles and his wife, Harriet (also a Christian Science Practitioner), were active members of the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Atlanta.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowles were taught in the Primary Class by Professor Hermann S. Hering. Mr. Bowles was taught in the Massachusetts Metaphysical College (Normal Class) in 1949 by Richard J. Davis of Chicago.

After his instruction, Mr. Bowles became a Christian Science Lecturer, traveling throughout the United States and abroad. He delivered the first Christian Science lecture in Nigeria in the mid-1950s. He was also a frequent contributor to the Christian Science periodicals.

Mr. Bowles taught the Normal Class in 1970.

The following was published in a June 28, 1958 article in the Christian Science Sentinel announcing New Members of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship.

“Neil H. Bowles, C.S.B., of Atlanta, Georgia, is a native of Chicago, Illinois, where he received his education. Early in his business career he entered the real estate business, and for many years he was active in the Chicago Real Estate Board.

“At the age of ten he was enrolled in the Sunday School of Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago, following the healing in Christian Science of his mother, who had been pronounced incurably ill of cancer. He joined Ninth Church of Chicago in 1918 and served that church in many capacities, including those of chairman of its board of directors and First Reader. Mr. Bowles joined The Mother Church in 1923 and received Primary class instruction in 1926. He entered the full-time practice of Christian Science in 1942. That year he was appointed Christian Science Wartime Minister and served the Armed Forces in Florida and later in Georgia. In 1945 Mr. Bowles became a member of First Church of Atlanta, Georgia. The same year he was appointed Christian Science Committee on Publication for Georgia, serving in this capacity for a total of nine years. In 1949, upon receiving instruction in the Normal class of the Board of Education, he became a teacher of Christian Science.”