By Hope Edwards
Class of 2026
Those who have walked Crown College’s hallways in recent years may be familiar with Harry Williams, the friendly boiler operator with Facilities Management Services (FMS). What might not be as well-known is his time as a Crown student. Harry studied at St. Paul Bible College (now Crown College) in the 1980s, worked on campus as an independent contractor for 23 years, and then began working at Crown full-time with FMS in 2011. Harry says that among the highlights in his life are: love for the Lord, going hunting, and learning more about people’s stories at Crown. His faith story is a drawn-out labor of love, orchestrated by God’s sovereignty and mercy.
Harry was born in Longview, Texas, and moved to Indiana when his father got a job in Kokomo. He grew up in Indiana, going to church three times a week with his parents and five siblings. He participated in Bible quizzing through The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). During his senior year of high school, his quizzing team competed at the national level in Minnesota. His team placed second overall, and Harry earned the position of top Bible quizzer in the nation. He had completely memorized the books of John and James and could quote any verse from them at the drop of a reference.
Looking back at that time in his life, “I lived by the law that I knew,” he said. “It was constant, void of grace, and I would do my best to keep the law, but then I would sin.” Harry had been determined to meet the demands, but could not, so there was a constant pull in both directions. Though he worked to obey God’s commandments, he had not yet to come to know the Lord personally.
While at the national quizzing event, Harry saw the choir from St. Paul Bible College perform at the Sunday evening worship service and talk about their C&MA school. Though Harry later wished he had more guidance in making such a big decision, he felt that attending college was the next required step in his life. So, after graduating high school in 1972, he moved to Minnesota to attend St. Paul Bible College and study missiology.
Harry’s dad dropped him off at college with $500, and after that he was on his own. Harry worked on-campus in the kitchen as the head breakfast cook. He also worked off campus as the head cook at a local hamburger joint called the “Ediner” in nearby Edina. Harry saw this as an adventure: going to classes, working almost full-time, and providing for himself.
On the weekends, he began hunting with fellow students Mitch Rayl (1984) and Mike Otte (1991). They would leave as soon as the sun came up and were outside all day, year-round, either hunting or fishing. On occasion, he would find himself in trouble with Dave Grandy (1971), the superintendent of building and grounds. Between Dave and Paul Gedden, who was the Dean of Men, Harry said they guided him with both firmness and love.
While at Crown, Harry disclosed to Dr. Don Alexander that he was “sick and tired of religion” and “wanted to throw it all out” since he felt he could not meet the demands set for him. Dr. Alexander laid out grace to Harry for the first time and explained how God’s law shows that we cannot meet its demands, but there is grace, a gift of God. Harry didn’t fully understand it at the time, but he would later experience that grace.
In his academics, Harry learned how to be diligent and studious. Earning mostly average grades and only one “B,” he didn’t consider himself to be an exceptional student. Despite that, there were many classes that intrigued him, such as Anthropology with Dr. Jim Lewis and various theology classes with Drs. Don Alexander, Arnie Hustad (1969), Stanton Richardson, and William Conley. In one of Dr. Conley’s classes, a missionary from Irian Jaya (modern-day West Papua) spoke about his rough sort of life “out in the bush” with the natives. Harry said he was immediately fascinated. The missionary brought photos of the native villages and an eight-foot blowgun to class. Harry even got the chance to fire it at a sheet of paper on the wall. He proved to be a skilled shot, and given his passion for hunting, the experience was unforgettable.
During his senior year at college, Harry failed one of his classes. While he was allowed to walk at commencement, he didn’t receive a diploma. After that, he began his own drywall and painting business, doing much of his work on Crown’s campus.
About six years passed, and Paul Gedden, still working at Crown but then as the Director of Student Ministries, knew Harry didn’t have his diploma. Gedden connected with the missionary in residence to set up a one-on-one course equivalent to the one missing from Harry’s degree and said, “Harry, let’s get you finished.” He completed the course, receiving an “A.”
One day, while painting on campus, Harry was called to President Benedict’s office. There he saw the president, the missionary in residence, and Paul Gedden gathered, holding his tassel and diploma. They held a small graduation ceremony and prayed for him in that room while he was still dressed in his painting gear. To Harry, this showed how much they loved and cared for him. Even though he had struggled earlier, they’d turned his graduation into a deeply personal celebration.
Harry continued to operate his own business for another 17 years, and God worked in Harry’s life through difficulty and chaos. At one point, he felt he wanted to have a fistfight with God, even though he knew he’d lose. His sister Kathy said to him, “Harry, God’s big enough to take your hurt. That’s what He’s there for.”
It was around the age of 45 when Harry knelt in prayer, and God intervened in a life-changing way. For the first time, he truly grasped the gift of grace, finding freedom and peace in his relationship with his heavenly Father. The theology he had learned years earlier hadn’t quite connected at the time, but he didn’t forget it. As he became a Christian and grew in his walk with the Lord, those truths came into focus and made sense in a new way.
“I believe salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit,” Harry said. “God’s Word says that we’re dead in our trespasses and sins. We’re not treading water, we’re dead at the bottom of the lake … in that thinking, it credits God fully for salvation, and it esteems the character and position of God to be fully sovereign. When we learn to trust in God’s sovereignty, our focus is changed from what’s going on here – ‘I want to be happy’ or ‘I want everything to go right’ – to looking at God.”
Harry has now been working for Crown FMS for over 14 years. It was a big change from self-employment, but he was then able to pursue and receive his boiler license. Over the years, he has continued to pour into students and build connections with staff. He sees a family atmosphere within the Crown community, the students interacting and lifting each other up, and finding joy in walking alongside others as God continues to work in their lives.
