Former TX Christian Camp Director Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
Defendant allegedly used ministry funds for personal expenses, including OnlyFans subscription.
The former executive director of a Christian camp could spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to stealing ministry funds.
According to the Arlington Report, Texas state prosecutors claim Blake Bowman stole or misapplied more than $600,000 in 2021 and 2022 while employed at Camp Thurman, a 14-acre summer camp near Ft. Worth. Bowman allegedly misused ministry credit cards and even linked his PayPal account directly to the Camp Thurman account to fund personal expenses, including OnlyFans, a subscription-based website with pornographic content.
Camp Thurman photo by Hernandez Hdz via Google Maps / Insert of Blake Bowman
Originally arrested in May 2024, Bowman was re-indicted in January 2025 as a result of new allegations. In February, Bowman pleaded guilty to two first-degree felonies: misapplication of property as a fiduciary and property theft. While each count involved $300,000 or more, the Arlington Report noted that the total amount Bowman is alleged to have taken is unclear, and that prosecutors highlighted more than $1 million in transactions.
Prior to serving for eight years as Camp Thurman’s executive director, Bowman taught at multiple North Texas school districts. He later took a job as a fourth-grade teacher during the 2022-23 school year, then transferred to another district, where he remained until resigning last August. His teacher certification is currently under review, according to the Arlington Report.
Bowman’s two felonies carry a potential penalty of five to 99 years in prison, plus fines. A court date for sentencing has not been announced.
Camp Thurman is an independent nonprofit founded in 1969, originally as a ministry of Pantego Bible Church. It hosts about 6,000 campers each summer in addition to offering off-season events and retreats. The camp draws a typical annual revenue of under $3 million—low enough for the ministry to feel the impact of $1 million in unaccounted expenses. However, Camp Thurman’s Form 990 filings reveal that Bowman’s criminal activities coincided with a brief revenue boost. The ministry’s earnings jumped to over $3 million in 2021 and over $4 million in 2022 before plummeting to less than half that number in 2023.
Camp Thurman declined to comment on the story.
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