Biography

Bishop Owens F. Shepard Sr. is the son of the late Mother Armett J. Shepard and the late Deacon Owens C. Shepard. Raised in a Christian home where the Word of God was consistently taught, he grew up under a prophetic declaration that he would one day preach the gospel. Although he strayed from that calling for a season, his life’s journey would bring him back to the purpose God had spoken over him.

In 1986, he joined the United States Army and moved away from Rochester. After completing his active duty service, he returned home and worked in various positions, eventually launching a successful business training security guards throughout the region.

In 1996, while his mother lay sick in the hospital, Bishop Shepard surrendered his life to the Lord and accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ. From that point forward, he became increasingly active in the ministry of the church. He acknowledged his call to preach in April 2000, was ordained as a church elder, and on August 12, 2001, was installed as Pastor of God Healing Temple in Rochester, New York.

Within Kingdom Dominion Covenant Ministries Fellowship Incorporated, Bishop Shepard was consecrated to the Episcopacy in June 2018 under Bishop Gerald West Phipps and appointed as Jurisdictional Bishop for the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, covering Rochester, New York, where he served for four years. At the 2022 Holy Convocation, he was elevated to Third Assistant Presiding Bishop, and later to First Assistant Presiding Bishop and Treasurer of the fellowship. In September 2025, he was installed as Presiding Bishop of Kingdom Dominion Covenant Ministries Fellowship Incorporated.

Bishop Shepard has a strong passion for evangelism and media ministry. He founded the God Healing Temple Radio Revival, a live radio broadcast where he and his mother preached the gospel and prayed for callers. That broadcast continued for three and a half years, until the station changed formats. In July of 2007, he established the God Healing Temple Global Media Network, which serves as the production arm for the God Healing Temple television revival on RCTV Channel 15, as well as Internet radio broadcasts that reach a worldwide audience.

Beyond the pulpit, Bishop Shepard is active in the wider faith and civic community. He is a member and the recording secretary of the Baptist Ministers Alliance of Greater Rochester and serves on several boards and committees that address social justice and other community concerns. Professionally, he is a respected businessman and leader in the security industry, having served as Director of Security for a local school district and now overseeing safety and security for a large human services agency.

At his core, Bishop Shepard is a servant leader who loves to preach the unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ and to care for God’s people. He is married to Elect-Lady Lakisha Shepard, and together they are the proud parents of eleven children.