The Story

Barry began his career as an educator in Ontario, Canada following his graduation from Concordia University in Montreal. He taught and coached in high school for six years before he and his wife, Wendy were called into Christian ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ in 1973.

Over the next thirty years, their primary responsibility focused on working with leaders in business, the professions, sports, politics, diplomacy and the church, teaching, mentoring, and offering seminars on leadership development and Christian growth. Barry was involved in coordinating numerous projects designed to mobilize the church across Canada and in Ireland. Motivated by extensive media campaigns under the banners of "I Found It, You Can Find It Too", and "Power to Change", thousands of Christians were trained to share their faith and engage their communities in the process of making disciples. The Power to Change campaign held in Ireland in 2002 mobilized thousands of Catholics and Protestants under the banner of "Reconciliation; Jesus is the Power to Change."

In 1984, Barry and Wendy were asked to become the founding Directors of the Christian Embassy in Ottawa, Canada. The Christian Embassy, was the vision of Dr. Bill Bright, the co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ whose inspiration to "Come help Change the Word" has motivated Barry and Wendy to this day. Barry and Wendy taught numerous Bible studies with parliamentarians and their spouses as well as with Ambassadors from all over the world. Ambassadors opened the door to their countries that allowed the Christian Embassy to organize delegations of businessmen and politicians to visit those countries and share the principles of the gospel with leaders. Several of those delegations included two US Apollo astronauts, Jim Irwin and Charlie Duke, who walked on the moon during the missions of Apollo 15 and 16 in the early 70's.

Following seven years of leading the Christian Embassy, Barry was asked to become the Chief of Staff for the Canadian Cabinet Minister responsible for Energy, Mines and Resources.  Barry returned to Campus Crusade for Christ in 1995 to take on senior executive roles for the fast-growing ministry of 500 staff.

In 2002, Barry served as the National Director for Youth for Christ in Canada for 3 years.

In the early 1990's, Barry became familiar with the Adizes change management organization. In 2010, Barry took training with Adizes, and in 2011, he became an Associate with Adizes, primarily focusing on small to mid-sized businesses and faith-based organizations. From 2017 to 2020, Barry had the privilege of travelling to Siberia, Russia on 4 occasions to share Adizes and biblical principles with next generation leaders.

Having turned 80 years of age in January 2025, Barry with his wife Wendy is committed to serving the Lord by giving away to others the principles from their walk with God, with a focus on developing next generation leaders. Barry has written 4 books since 2018 all with stories from their faith journey and the principles of leadership and growth from the Bible and the Adizes methodology.

Their dream to give away what God has given to them, is now expressed in the Jesuslives.today web platform with the intention of equipping Christians all over the world, in as many languages as possible, to enjoy the wonderful journey of freedom in Christ that is available to all of us.

Endorsements

Barry provided strategic insights during an important time of transition for our organization. The wisdom gleaned from his training and experience combined with his application of biblical principles were exactly what we needed to forge ahead. 

The seminars that Barry offered via the Christian Embassy to Ambassadors and diplomats provided them with helpful resources enabling them to become more effective in their roles.

Darlene McLean, Executive Director
Christian Embassy of Canada

My pastoral team in Siberia and I have known Barry Bowater for almost a decade. His contribution to the development of our church leadership team cannot be overestimated - his rich experience and wisdom have taken leadership in our church in Russia to a new level and allowed us to be more effective in expanding the Kingdom of God. Barry is always focused on adding value to people, seeing the uniqueness of each person as God created them, and motivating the development of the potential that each person has.

I deeply value my personal friendship with Brother Barry as well. His advice and encouraging words are always enriching and inspiring to me.

Vitaly Kogan, Bishop
Covenant Church Ministries

Barry didn't just teach me consulting-he revealed how it can be a means of service, always pointing back to the truth of the Gospel and God's character. Working alongside him in seminars and with clients, I witnessed how he brings wisdom and process together in a way that transforms people and organizations. The truths Barry has shared with me are so deeply significant and memorable, I often share them word-for-word with others.

Troy Pachal, Business Owner & Consultant
Calgary, Alberta

As someone mentored by Barry, what you will experience with the resources is an authentic representation of what it means to be mentored by Barry. Thoughtful and intentional, each part of Jesus Lives Today is ultimately an extension of Barry's heart, which deeply desires to see your life transformed so that you might help others see their lives transformed as well. Frankly, my life has not been the same since Barry mentored me, and I imagine the same will be true for you, too!

Shaun Wissmann, Pastor and Doctoral Candidate
Fuller Theological Seminary, CA

For over five years, Barry Bowater has been an invaluable mentor to me personally and to my business team. His wisdom, drawn from both his deep understanding of the Adizes change management platform and his lifelong journey with Jesus, has profoundly shaped the way I lead. Barry has taught me the importance of building a balanced team-one where each member's strengths are recognized and nurtured. More importantly, he has shown me how to lead with generosity, always rooted in the principles that Jesus lived and taught.

Now, with his new website, Jesus Lives Today, Barry is sharing his decades of experience, insights, and faith with a wider audience. His ability to bridge sound business principles with the timeless wisdom of Scripture has been transformational in my life, and I have no doubt that his work will inspire many others as well. I am incredibly grateful for his mentorship, his guidance, and his unwavering commitment to helping leaders grow-not just in their businesses, but in their faith and character.

If you are seeking wisdom on leadership, team-building, or navigating change through a Christ-centered lens, I highly recommend learning from Barry and exploring Jesus Lives Today.

Matt Dryfhout, CEO & Founder
Scout Technology Guides