Pastor Gary Cowan was born in Phoenix, Arizona on March 21, 1953. He was
born again and grew up in the First Foursquare Church of Phoenix.
In pursuit of a musical career patterned after that of his idols, The
Beatles, Gary received his first electric guitar for his birthday in
1964 and hence began what became a lifetime passion - singing, playing
guitar and songwriting.
Gary sensed the call of God upon his life at an early age and upon the
death of his mother in January of 1970, he rededicated his life to
Christ at the First Baptist Church of El Segundo, California, where he
had been placed with his and aunt and uncle who were believers.
That same year, Pastor Gary began to write and perform original
Christian folk / rock music which would become known in the Jesus
Movement of the 70's as "Jesus Music". In his senior year of high
school, he led Bible Studies and worship on the front lawn of El Segundo
High School and formed the CCM group, "Phoenix Sonshine", affectionately
named after his hometown and his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the
"Son" of God. He also appeared as a solo artist all over Southern
California at dozens of Christian Coffee Houses that had sprung up.
He graduated from El Segundo High School in 1971 where he was a member
of the California Scholarship Federation and the National Honor Society.
After high school, he briefly attended El Camino and Orange Coast
Colleges in Torrance and Costa Mesa, California, studying music and
drama. During this time, he continued to pursue what had become his
number one priority - using his group, Phoenix Sonshine as a vehicle for
preaching the gospel to anyone and everyone who would listen - people of
all ages from all walks of life.
Phoenix Sonshine performed continuously both nationally and
internationally (Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico) and
recorded two albums between the years 1971 and 1978. In addition to
pursuing his lifelong passion of music, which God had begun to channel
in the direction of Praise and Worship, Pastor Gary was growing in the
grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus under the Bible Teaching of Pastor
Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, California where he
attended church from 1972 to 1977. During this time, Phoenix Sonshine
was part of Maranatha! Music, which was Calvary's record label and
musical outreach of traveling Christian bands. Their second album, "The
Exodus", was released on the Maranatha! Label in 1976.
In 1977 Pastor Gary moved to Boulder, Colorado to assist Pastor Tom
Stipe in planting Calvary Chapel of Boulder/Denver. In 1978, he answered
God's call to serve as the Assistant Pastor/Worship Leader for Calvary
Chapel of Denver. The years 1982-83 found him at Calvary Chapel North
Phoenix under Pastor Bob Claycamp, ministering as the Worship Leader. In
1983 he and his wife, Georgie, their young son, Taylor, and his new baby
sister, Tara, moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming where Pastor Gary was called to
be assistant pastor and worship leader in the Open Bible Church. They
lived in Cheyenne for about two years, before returning to Denver to
regroup and seek God’s direction.
Through what could only be viewed as God's Divine Plan and Purpose,
Pastor Gary, his lovely wife, their two children and "bun in the oven"
(Adam - 11/29/86) were called to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where in
January of 1989, they began holding Sunday morning services in a small
store front, marking the beginning of what is now known as Calvary
Chapel East. In 1996, again by God's divine hand of guidance, Calvary
Christian Academy (grades K4-12) was inaugurated and is now in its 12th
year of ministry.