DCPolitics

SC Pastor Mulls US Senate Bid

A South Carolina pastor is mulling a 2014 Republican primary challenge to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, sources familiar with his thinking tell FITS. DeTreville F. Bowers, Jr. – pastor of Christ Church of the Carolinas – has reportedly raised the prospect of running for Senate in conversations with several social…

A South Carolina pastor is mulling a 2014 Republican primary challenge to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, sources familiar with his thinking tell FITS.

DeTreville F. Bowers, Jr. – pastor of Christ Church of the Carolinas – has reportedly raised the prospect of running for Senate in conversations with several social conservative leaders. Some of these leaders have passed this information along to Graham’s campaign, which according to one staffer views Bowers as a “credible threat.”

A native of Estill, S.C., Bowers spent two decades as a lawyer before earning his Master of Divinity degree from Columbia International University in the mid-1990s. He served as an associate pastor at downtown Columbia, S.C.’s prestigious (and politically connected) First Presbyterian Church prior to becoming the lead pastor at Christ Church.

A gifted orator, Bowers’ political ideology is unknown. Assuming he enters the race, though, he would find plenty of competition for evangelical votes as three of Graham’s four announced primary challengers wear their social conservatism on their sleeves.

Bowers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on his 2014 intentions …

Stay tuned to FITS for more as this story develops.

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22 comments

Tony Castellano January 8, 2014 at 11:51 pm

Love him hate him, Lindsay Graham is here to stay. I’m taking bets.

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The Colonel January 9, 2014 at 7:08 am

“I think in our community and in the South, which is what I know, evangelicals have been so burned by those who claim to be what maybe is not evidenced in the policies that come forth,” said Bowers. “Because of that, there is a strength I would call it — some might call it a hardening — of attitudes toward the [faith] professions of candidates, what they’re claiming.” Det Bowers “on politicians and religion” http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-01-13/news/0801120444_1_white-evangelicals-conservative-christian-leaders-mitt-romney

DeTreville “Det” Bowers is an ultra conservative – not necessarily a “Republican”.
In addition to being a pastor of a church he helped found, he is a licensed attorney (not necessarily a “recommendation” in my way of thinking). He’s a gifted orator, a one of the smartest men I’ve ever met.

Education:
BA – Government, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Wofford (1974)
J.D. – University of South Carolina School of Law (1977)
M.Div – Columbia International University (1995)

I’d vote for him regardless of the party he chose – he’s a man of conviction.

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CorruptionInColumbia January 9, 2014 at 10:47 am

He’s definitely not my first choice, but if it comes down to him or Lindsey, he would get my vote. ANYone other than Lindsey will get my vote when it comes down to it.

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Jackie Chiles January 9, 2014 at 11:41 am

Without a doubt, he’d blow Graham out of the water in a debate.

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Andsoitbegins January 9, 2014 at 2:52 pm

Second that, probably one of the smartest men I have met. I am curious to hear his thoughts on some progress. If he says something, he will keep his word. I know that much.

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Fits Aint No Republican January 9, 2014 at 3:59 pm

An”ultraconservative” gets your vote?Wow,thats a shock.

And if he’s not a “Republican” why would he run in a “Republican ” primary?Why not run as an “Ultraconservative Independent?”

The again in your world and Fits world,no Republican is really a Republican and the ones that do call themselves Republicans are really RINOS because you people who arent Republicans really know what a REAL Republican is and………

Silly?Sure,but that in essence is your position as you’ve explained it seveal times!

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Low Country Lawyer January 9, 2014 at 8:01 am

Det Bowers is all about Det Bowers. He spews a 1920’s version of ole time religion and a lot of dumb folks fall in line paying him money to keep on telling them what they want to hear. One of his themes is everybody is going to Hell but for him and a few who follow his God rules exactly as he proscribes him. Det is a cleaned up version of Jim Baker.

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No not one March 22, 2014 at 11:15 pm

Det doesn’t look at rules or his own goodness as a way to get to Heaven. That is character assasination. He is a sinner whom God opened the eyes of not because of any reason found in Det. That is why it is called Grace. He is an attorney in this life however he has asked for Christ Jesus to represent him. Jesus was tried, convicted, punished hanging naked on a tree .. crushed for dirty people like myself and Det and anyone who repents and ask Gods forgivness found only in Jesus with no possability for double Jeapardy.

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Have You Been Transformed? January 9, 2014 at 9:03 am

LOL— Det Bowers was/is Mark Sanford’s “spiritual advisor,” along with Cubby Culbertson. Cubby, who specializes in marital advice (having been through a couple himself), must be weighing a run for Governor!

Short version: Det Bowers is batshit crazy.

Longer version: These clowns are a joke. They feign holiness, suck the masses into their church via ads during football games and by spewing hatred from the pulpit, then use said masses as their base when they decide to save us from ourselves and run for a political office. What a crock of shit. Anyway, good luck Det. I put your chances at winning this at least as high as your chances of winning a spelling contest.

(And Will… Have YOU been transformed?)

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Jackie Chiles January 9, 2014 at 11:40 am

When did Shandon Baptist Church get dragged into this?

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Lucy January 9, 2014 at 12:18 pm

Det worshiped Dick Lincoln for awhile while trying to learn how to con the masses out of their money. He then went to First Pres following/chasing its big old money base. They tired of him and he carried some of the less stable money folks from there and SBC and opened his own church – trying to be a Heritage Village or at the very least, a Crystal Palace type church. He is a snake oil salesman at best and at worst, the profane term one person that has already posted – B$#S&*% crazy – is most often used to describe him.

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Jackie Chiles January 9, 2014 at 2:15 pm

Good thing you’re not bitter about anything.

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LuAnn January 9, 2014 at 10:20 am

Have you been to an event when he volunteers to “offer a little prayer?” Better hope you ate before you got there because you are going to miss the next meal. I saw him give a forty-five minute “little prayer” once. A sermon bottled as a prayer – when he wasn’t there as the main event! This is publicity stunt at best for some new church he’s got going.

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Jackie Chiles January 9, 2014 at 11:39 am

lol. I always hate it when people do public prayers that last forever.

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euwe max January 10, 2014 at 4:13 am

Not me. I yell out – amen! Ohhhh…. yes! and PRAZE JEEEEZUS!

can I get a witness? JAY-ZUZ! and a little glossolalia helps speed the prayer to a timely end, I’ve found.

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Puzzled January 9, 2014 at 10:51 am

Isn’t it ironic that this man is a pastor at where Bill Connor claims to attend church?

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shifty henry January 9, 2014 at 11:59 am

“Bowers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on his 2014 intentions ”
— big mistake, because one should ALWAYS respond to Sic’s emails…

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euwe max January 10, 2014 at 4:11 am

How about the Charleston dog catcher? Is he available?

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DarkCorner35 January 18, 2014 at 10:32 am

I don’t know the man or anything about him, but I read his book, AMERICA UPON HIS SHOULDERS, and this is the roadmap to regain this country that is being lost to idiots who want to change America and power-hungry politicians that were elected to represent us as statesmen who believe in the constitution. Graham does not fit the profile and hopefully we won’t have to put up with him much longer.

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Colin Shaw February 11, 2014 at 11:59 am

I went to Pastor Bowers’ church for 10 years. He brought me from a life at the State Hospital to a self sufficient law abiding citizen. He totally changed my life or I should say gave me a life. There is no man on this Earth that is better prepared for this job.

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Carla White April 16, 2014 at 7:17 pm

In response to Lucy statement – Det Bowers left First Pres in Columbia, SC on his own initiative. He was not fired. He left the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Denomination because he was basically tired of the way the ARP operated. He is more of a charismatic preacher than your typical “teaching” type.
Lucy – in verification reach out to First Pres – Find out the truth.
If anyone should have been fired from First Pres it s/d have been Mark Ross –

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conman April 14, 2014 at 5:08 pm

what a douche running in the SC senate race when he encouraged Bill Connor to run. He calls himself a Christian but a Christian would never do that.

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