'Goodness, gladness and strength': Pastor remembers fallen Scottsdale detective
Brian Bowman has preached at a number of funerals as the lead pastor for Valley Life Church. On Thursday, he preached at the funeral for a man he said he loves like a brother: Scottsdale police Detective Ryan So.
“It was so good that I could tell the truth about that man, and not try to sell him as a perfect father, husband, worker or Christian,” Bowman said. “In telling the truth about him, I had to talk about the Lord, I had to talk about goodness, gladness and strength, because that's who he was.”
At So’s procession and funeral on Thursday, Bowman was joined by law enforcement officers from several cities, So’s loved ones and many mourners from the Scottsdale community. As they stood in triple-digit heat, Bowman said the outpouring of love and support was a representation of So’s impact and legacy.
“I'm very familiar with churches showing love to people, but to watch the Scottsdale Police Department express love the way they did and the way they are continuing to do, to express that love to Ashley and the girls, and then later, by extension, to me and to my church, it was a wonderful thing,” Bowman said.
“I'm not saying Ryan is the catalyst for that, but it certainly did become manifest through this accident, with them and with our church, a lot of people coming together, which is exactly what Ryan was all about.”
So died while on duty on June 13, from injuries caused when a rifle fell out of a bag and accidentally discharged. He was survived by his wife and three daughters.
A leader in the church
When So joined Valley Life Church eight years ago, Bowman performed his baptism, welcoming him and his family to the church and its community. After almost a decade as a member, So grew to have a large impact on the organization.
So was known for rallying other men in the church to take on anything that needed doing, Bowman said, including leading fourth- and fifth-graders in the youth ministry. When he died, So was training to become a lay pastor, someone who ministers outside of the clergy.
“That big, strong cop, and he would teach little kids the Bible because it needed to be done,” Bowman said. “He grew in his faith, and we grew in love and trust in him, and he felt the call in his life to be a lay pastor. He was in training to be a lay pastor in our church and was part of that cohort. Of course, that whole cohort just admired and respected him, and we were so excited to have him on the team.”
An encouraging force in the community
So was known for challenging his community, Bowman said, and encouraging the people around him to step up. Whether it was growing in their faith or their physical fitness, So was a motivating force for the men around him.
“I remember a time when one of our pastors was saying something about wanting to be fit … and said, but it's just so difficult to find the time,” Bowman said. “And Ryan said, no, that's not true. There's always more time. You could get up earlier, you could do what you wanted to do. But he said that kind of stuff in love, but also challenge, he challenged all of us like that.”
On the day of So’s funeral procession, another pastor told Bowman that So would love to see the community doing something difficult to honor him.
“He said, Ryan would love to see us out here in 100 degrees, doing something difficult, sweating, because that's just how he was,” Bowman said. “The more uncomfortable he was, the more he liked it.”
Giving a Father’s Day sermon after losing a father
When Bowman received the news that So had died, he was on a trip to Niagara Falls with his wife, and his father was scheduled to preach the Father’s Day sermon three days later.
The next day, Bowman was back in Scottsdale telling his father to stay in Oklahoma because he needed to be with his church.
After speaking to So’s wife, Bowman said he rewrote his sermon, preparing to speak about the example Ryan set for showing love.
“I just kind of rewrote everything, not to talk about Ryan, because we were there to honor Christ, not to honor Ryan, but an obvious example of laying your life down,” Bowman said. “And that's what Jesus said. There's no greater love than a man who lays down his life for others.”
Reporter Vivian Barrett is a 2024 Pulliam fellow and covers breaking news for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at vivian.barrett@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pastor shares memories of fallen Scottsdale police Detective Ryan So
