Bridged - Fall 2021

BRIDGED

VOL 02

FALL 2021

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ALL THINGS NEW

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PRESIDENT ANDREW C . DENTON 17TH PRESIDENT OF CROWN COLLEGE

A Letter From the President

By Andrew C. Denton, Phd

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ur 2021-2022 academic year is off to a great start! Linda and I have so enjoyed getting to know the Crown community. It is a privilege to serve as President and lead this amazing institute into a new era. Dr. Wiggins, his wife Kathy, and the previous leadership have provided a strong foundation to build upon over the coming months and years.

As I walk through the hallways of our college, I’m reminded what an incredible opportunity and responsibility we have to provide a biblically-based education for Christian leadership in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the church-at-large, and the world. As a devoted follower of Jesus

Christ, I am committed to moving our school forward with Christ at the Center and as our foundation.

My firm belief is that the best days for Crown are ahead. We are moving into a decade of excellence and growth. Crown is a community that loves Jesus deeply, is committed to authentic community, and works together to fulfill our mission.

I shared during my Inauguration address that the Cabinet and I are going to dream God-sized dreams and go after God-sized goals. I am asking and believing that the Lord wants to do miracles that make people say, “these things could only happen because of the Lord,” because then only the Lord will receive praise and glory.

May the Lord bless Crown College as we move into this decade of excellence and growth.

We are headed into a new level of excellence throughout our organization—excellence in our student experience, academic programs, and facilities. By moving to a new level of excellence, I believe the Lord will advance us into a new level of growth. Growth in online and oncampus enrollment, faculty and staff fulfillment in their service at our institution, and impact and influence locally and around the world.

The Lord is already doing something new. There is a sense of momentum and God’s presence on our campus. There is no doubt we will face challenges in the days ahead, but I believe the best days for Crown College are coming.

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Learn more on how your church can make a personal impact in your students education. crown.edu/cornerstone

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JUNIOR TERRY WARNER BAPTISM AT WESTBROOK COMMUNIT Y CHURCH

A New Era of Champions

By Nancy C. Zugschwert, MA

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peak to a student or coach involved in athletics at Crown College this fall, and you’ll sense an almost palpable vitality.

“There is so much new energy in athletics,” remarked Anthony Franz, Head Football Coach. “Our Crown administration has brought some of the best up-and-coming coaches to the athletic department, and they are committed to building programs that are successful on and off the field.”

Travis Whipple, Vice President of College Relations, oversees athletics operations. Since his arrival in July, he has focused on Crown’s mission and how athletics represents Crown in advancing the college's mission.

“We did a full study of athletics over the summer,” Whipple explained, “and sought to identify where we're going in terms of a mission of our institution, diving into our goal

of being a passionately Christian institution. The department of athletics needs to mirror that.”

Whipple is quick to point out the great traditions and people who have built the athletic program over the years. His goal is to retain elements of that foundation and move even more aggressively into developing as a passionate and Christian Department of Athletics. “We are centering our mission around graduating champions and leaders in faith, in the classroom, the community, and competition,” Whipple said.

Having the right people on staff to lead this effort is of paramount importance, according to Whipple.

“We’ve been very fortunate to hire some good additions to our team who fully embrace those who believe in those things.”

Setting the tone As one of the more visible sports, football helps play a role in setting the tone for athletics at the college.

According to Franz, the spiritual emphasis on the team this fall has been monumental. During fall camp, four players were baptized after visiting a local church and learning they had a Baptism Sunday coming up.

Franz is committed to creating an environment for success for his players—on and off the field. “In the football program, we build a positive experience by having fun with our guys, bringing positive energy every day, and loving them as Christ would,” Franz said. “Love is the secret ingredient of our program.”

With 46 percent of the student population involved in athletics, the influence of student-athletes is

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FRESHMAN TERIS WATSON BAPTISM AT

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

WESTBROOK COMMUNIT Y CHURCH

ANTHONY FRANZ

visible throughout campus. Senior Jared Gilmore is the quarterback of the football team and Student Senate President, and football players make up more than half of the student senate.

Gilmore is enthusiastic about the new energy he senses at Crown. “There has been more excitement around athletic events this year,” Gilmore said, “creating an electric game-day environment.”

Whipple said Crown athletes are leading local Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) groups in area schools.

In addition to athletes serving on the Student Senate, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), made up of student-athletes from each team, engages the entire studentathlete population in being leaders on campus and in the surrounding community. In October, the SAAC hosted a special event on campus with the chaplain of the Minnesota Lynx.

A tool to invite people in Whipple credits new Crown President Dr. Andrew Denton with creating an environment for athletics to thrive. “I love what Dr. Denton is doing in terms of leaning more into being a passionately Christian institution,” Whipple said. “He values athletics and sees that as an outstanding opportunity to help bring our institution together.

He also cares for our students.

You see him around in the dining center, and you see him at games, just really involved and trying to give an excellent student experience.”

Head Baseball and Golf Coach, Ryan Doheny, has seen the impact of the new administration’s support for athletics.

“It’s clear that administration believes in us as coaches,” Doheny said, “and is taking decisive action to accomplish the mission to provide premier

athletic programs and experiences.”

For many smaller colleges, the athletics program can seem like an afterthought. However, Whipple sees enormous potential with a mindset shift to see athletics as a powerful entry point to the Crown experience. “We want to represent our school well,” Whipple said. “I think a department of athletics can serve as the front porch where we connect with individuals.

They might be fans, prospective students, donors, or people who have been associated with us before and just need an opportunity to reconnect. We want to be that front porch—a visible area of campus that invites them in.”

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THE BAMOGO FAMILY: JACQUES, MARIE ANDRE , FASNEWENDE ASAPH (17), WEND VI JERIEL (9), WENDNONGA JAPHET (7)

Bamogo

By Samantha Bergum

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veryone on campus can recognize Jacques Bamogo’s unwavering radiant joy he has carried since the moment he stepped foot on the Crown College campus.

His story is one that has changed us all for the better and challenged us to follow the Lord faithfully, even when He takes you across the world.

Jacques Bamogo was living in Burkina Faso, his native country in West Africa, when he felt God call him to the United States to study theology.

He didn’t know English or have any sort of plan to ensure he had funds — let alone a school to attend — but he listened and began to pursue the calling God had placed on his life.

When Bamogo applied for a Visa

to come to the States in 2004, his application was declined. He waited for 10 years before he reapplied, and that time it went through. After hearing the news, he packed up his things and left his wife, children, and everything he knew — unsure when he would see them again.

Bamogo landed in New York City on July 27, 2014 with a tourist visa and immediately sought to enroll in language school to learn English.

He enrolled in a free English school, awaiting approval from an accredited English school. A seemingly easy process ended up taking him four months to apply and another eight months to be accepted.

Finally, in November 2015, he began

the journey of learning English. His days were reliably busy, attending school and working to support himself in New York and provide for his family back in his home country. Finding quality jobs that worked with his situation and schedule proved difficult, so he graciously took what he could find.

Usually the jobs barely made ends meet.

Some days, Bamogo would go without eating so he could afford schooling, housing, and supporting his family.

Of course, learning English was no easy task either. Bamogo spent five years in language school, with limited to no opportunity to practice. He was persistent, however, knowing that despite the struggles, God led the entire process.

CONTINUED»

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Finding a friend Bamogo served an African immigrant church where he met Pastor Brian Davis, the Site Coordinator for Envision New York City.

Davis and Bamogo became close friends in his time there, and Bamogo served alongside him to share the gospel with African immigrants around the city.

Davis knew that Bamogo desperately wanted to find a university to attend in 2017, so he began to help Bamogo search. Although they toured and spoke with many colleges, none seemed

to be the right fit. Numerous extra steps make finding a college as an international student challenging, which led to a long and emotionally draining process.

As 2019 loomed, Davis was catching up with an old friend who happened to be part of Crown College’s hybrid location in Atlanta. After discussion and guidance from Davis, Bomogo submitted his application to Crown College with optimism.

To be accepted into, international students must take an English assessment to ensure communication

and comprehension in the classroom. Even with his language studies, this was a challenging obstacle for Bamogo. He studied diligently, took the test, and prayed he’d scorehigh enough to meet Crown’s requirements.

Two miracles Bamogo was accepted into Crown College as an international student with no complications — which Bamogo calls “a miracle.”

However, as the process of attending unfolded, a new obstacle emerged.

The reality had set in that Bamogo had no financial ability to pay for his tuition.

With faith in God’s call, he asked God what to do next.

All he heard was to trust Him — so that’s what he did.

A month later, Davis and Bamogo were in the car and Bamogo opened up about his financial situation and concern about attending college. “I had no scholarships, no savings, no aid,” Bamogo shared.

Davis listened and heard the need in Bamogo’s life.

A week later, Davis delivered the biggest blessing in Bamogo’s

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CROWN COMMUNIT Y PR AYS OVER BAMOGO DURING GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT WEEK

life to date: “Envision wants to pay for your schooling, Jacques.”

Shocked. Delighted. Excited.

Miracle number two! God’s plans followed by His provision. Bamogo’s faithfulness persisted in anticipation of a new adventure at Crown College.

New days ahead In fall 2019, Bamogo packed his bags and stepped onto his flight to Minnesota.

He recalls landing in Minnesota and feeling an overwhelming sense of peace, “I knew this place felt like home at that moment.”

Jerry Kragt, Crown’s International Worker in Residence at the time greeted Bamogo at the MinneapolisSt. Paul Airport upon Bamogo’s

arrival. Kragt held a sign marked “Jacques Bamogo”, soon welcoming Bamogo with a warm hug.

Keys in hand and headed to his new home in Miller Hall, Bamogo felt overwhelmed by the reality of this new beginning. The rolling hills and fresh air of St. Bonifacius contrasted his experience in New York City. And, it had now been five years since he’d been in Burkina Faso. For the first few months, he struggled to keep up with school work and follow the lectures. Bamogo recalls with gratitude the tutors and friends who helped him strengthen his English and succeed in the classroom.

One of the first people he met at Crown was Tanner Schaaf. Schaaf described that first time, saying, “I knew from the moment I met Jacques

and saw his joy-filled smile that I wanted to be friends with him.”

Bamogo began attending The River Church with Schaaf, carpooling every Sunday. One week, Schaaf asked about Bamogo’s family and how often he gets to see them.

“I haven’t seen my family in five years,” Bamogo admitted.

A community surprise Schaaf knew he had to do something.

He and his friends decided to start a GoFundMe for Bamogo with the hopes of raising enough money to fly Bamogo to Burkina Faso to visit his family.

Schaaf looked to keep this a surprise, hoping to give Bamogo the gift all at once with the Crown community CONTINUED»

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JACQUES BAMOGO RECEIVES FUNDS THE CROWN COMMUNIT Y HAD RAISED

present. Schaaf is a skilled photographer, so he asked Bamogo to pose for fall photos — with the underlying intention to use these for the GoFundMe website.

News about the GoFundMe effort spread quickly, and in February at Global Engagement Week, they showcased Bamogo and his story. The community prayed over him and his family. This was extremely special to Bamogo, especially since Burkina Faso was under rampant terrorist attacks at that time. His mother had to move out of her hometown and relocate with Bamogo’s wife and children. This caused Bamogo a lot of pain, as he wanted so desperately to be with his family to protect and comfort them.

On February 23, 2020, the Crown Community gathered together again for

Selah, Crown’s Sunday night worship chapel. After a few songs, Schaaf invited Bamogo to the stage and presented him with nearly $2,000 for him to buy a flight home. Bamogo shared he had never been at a loss for words like he was at that moment. He had no idea that they had been working so hard to collect the money — another incredibly large blessing God gave Bamogo..

As Bamogo began to think more about visiting his family, he realized how hard it would be to be there only to leave again to complete his schooling. Then he thought, “What if I brought them here to stay?” He spent time researching this idea and decided to apply for them to come to the United States. Because Bamogo already had an F1 Visa as an international student, he would

qualify to get F2 Visas for his family.

Bamogo used the money he received from the community to pay for his families’ Visa applications and began the process. After some time, the Visas were approved and plans began for the entire Bamogo family to come to the U.S. At the time, Bamogo lived in a shared dorm and worried about where his family would live when they arrived.

After some conversations, Crown College made space and provided the Bamogos a place to live in Faith Village.

Family reunion More than a year later, in the summer of 2021, the Bamogo family arrived in Minnesota. They were greeted by Bamogo and some of his

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BAMOGO WELCOMES HIS FAMILY TO THE UNITED STATES AT MSP AIRPORT

Crown family. When Bamogo left his country his youngest son was only seven months old (now seven years old), so it felt like the first time meeting him. A joyous reunion.

In a time where so many people felt alone and isolated in their homes, the Bamogo family felt the fullest they have in years. The minute Bamogo saw his family walk through the doors, the family ran to each other. Embracing each other with smiles and joy-filled tears -- the family was together and home.

Crown College welcomed the Bamogo family. Mary Krupski, Administrative Assistant to College Relations, and Martha Swift, Director of Student Engagement, played a large part in making sure their new home in Faith Village felt like home. They

gathered furniture and made sure they were welcomed with a fridge full of food.

Professors made sure the Bamogos were provided with necessary documents to acquire their Visas, and the rest of the community provided the family with gift cards to make shopping easier.

Now, the Bamogo family lives in Faith Village. Two of Bamogo’s sons, Wend Vi Jeriel (age 9) and Wendnonga Japhet (age 7), attend Laketown Elementary School and his eldest, Fasnewende Asaph (age 17), is a senior at Waconia High School. While his children are in school, his wife, Marie Andre, is learning English from Shelly Kragt.

After Bamogo graduates from Crown, he and his family plan to move back to New York City and work

with Envision to spread the gospel.

Bamogo explains, “West African immigrants move to the States to make money and forget to worship God, too. I want to remind them that worshipping God should come first.”

The Crown College community continues to be blessed by the warmth of the Bamogos’ presence and story. We strive to follow Bamogo’s commitment to patience, persistence, and trust in listening for God’s voice and call in our lives.

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Alumni of the Year

By Chelsea Bailey

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ife is full of surprises.

There are triumphs and troubles, tears and smiles— sometimes simultaneously.

Crown College 2021 Alumni of the Year, Pat and Judy Misener, know this paradox well. They’ve learned to rejoice, even in the midst of incredible suffering.

In October 1988, the Meissner's 13-year-old daughter Mickey passed away after an unexpected cardiac event and 38 days in intensive care.

“We have three children, including Mickey,” said Pat, smiled while describing Mickey’s tender heart and compassion for others—especially her classmates. “She loved the Lord and was often associated with bringing outsiders into the group and helping in that way.”

Pat also recalled the painful aftermath as weeks, months, and years passed without Mickey. In their suffering, he and Judy noticed the glaring void of resources for parents grieving the death of a child.

“We found after Mickey died there was a huge vacuum toward us,” said Pat, who was pastoring at the time referring to fellow suffering parents. “I think our culture is moving forward very fast.”

Because of his role as a pastor, Pat explains, some people assumed he wasn’t struggling.

This experience opened his eyes

to the deep need for support when someone’s faith is shattered.

Referencing 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Pat says, “Some have taken ‘we don’t grieve as those without hope’ to mean ‘we don’t grieve.’ And that’s not at all what it says.”

In response, the Miseners began hosting couples around their dining room table to grieve, grow, and seek healing together.

One step of faith led to another.

From the ashes of an untimely death, extreme grief, and God’s grace, something beautiful was born: Smile Again Ministries (SAM).

Since SAM’s initial founding in 1999 and its official nonprofit affiliation in 2007, Pat and Judy have pioneered an organization that’s changed lives, saved marriages, and resulted in salvations.

“We’ve seen some really incredible stories,” Pat says. “We try to help families understand that grief will be a lifelong journey. If they can trust God in the dark the way they did in the light, things will and can work out for their good in the end.”

In 2009, the nonprofit stepped out in faith and purchased a 15-acre property, and watched God provide every penny needed to open and operate Whitetail Lodge, a retreat center that provides support and solace for grieving families.

“As soon as we walked on the

land, we looked at each other and said ‘This is the place,’” Pat says. “It’s just incredible how God has stepped in and moved things forward.”

Over the years, Pat served as interim pastor at several churches while overseeing SAM. He and Judy also created a six-part curriculum on grieving, along with other books, seminars, and services.

Now, 33 years after Mickey’s death, the Miseners—proud grandparents of six—are still on the grief journey.

“This year has been more of a struggle for me,” Pat says. “We still miss her.”

Although there are fresh tears, the Miseners still find reasons to smile again. The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in October.

Additionally, in September they attended Crown Homecoming as 2021 Alumni of the Year honorees. When Pat learned of the nomination, he was “stunned.”

“It was certainly not on my radar,” says Pat, who holds a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies and a B.A. in Communication.

“It’s really a God thing.”

Reflecting on his formative years in college, Pat remembers fondly the many faculty members who impacted his life.“When I look back, the best part, certainly, was the professors,” he says,

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noting that his time in the classroom helped guide and fuel his fledgling faith.

“I was kind of a thorn in the flesh a little bit for the administration,” Pat admits. His professors noticed he needed extra help and encouragement to stay on track.

“They certainly gave it,” he says— along with support from his beloved bride. Pat and Judy married two years before Pat came to Crown.

After graduation, Pat made good use of both bachelor’s degrees. He first worked as a news editor for three years (at the recommendation of a professor) before entering pastoral ministry.

Judy attended Crown as a music major for one year. After marrying Pat, she focused on raising children and, later, co-leading SAM while traveling to speak and minister in multiple cities.

The Today the Miseners recently are settleding into a new home in Lake City, Minnesota, as retirees, filled with praise for all God has done and with hearts open to whatever their future holds.

“We’re just trying to find where the Lord is going to use us next and go in that direction.”

Learn more about Pat and Judy Misener and Mickey’s story at smileagainministeries.org.

ALUMNI OF THE YEAR SHARE AT CHAPEL DURING HOMECOMING WEEK

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SHELLY + JERRY KR AGT ON SHERBURNE AVE . IN 2021

Kragts

By Samantha Bergum

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ver a hundred years ago, there was a powerful move of God's Spirit that brought 2,000 people to hear and receive the message of salvation in a small church in St. Paul, Minnesota. That Church was originally pastored by J.D. WIlliams, the founder of Crown College, and is neighbors to what was Crown’s first campus (at that time known as St. Paul Bible Institute). Now, in 2021 Crown College Alumni Jerry and Shelly Kragt are asking God to bring revival to that neighborhood once again.

In the early 90s, the Kragts graduated from Crown with a heart for missions. Jerry, a world missions major, and Shelly, an elementary education major, felt deeply called to spend their life overseas sharing the Gospel. After graduating and working in churches in the U.S. for 6 years, they faithfully served in Europe for 23 years in different roles, and then returned to the U.S. in 2019. Their return was intended to be temporary—but God had something different in mind.

The Kragts served as Crown’s international workers-in-residence

FOUNDER OF CROWN COLLEGE , REV. J.D. WILLIAMS + HIS WIFE ON SHERBURNE AVE . IN 1917

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for the 2019–2020 school year and stayed for the following school year to continue to serve the Crown community.

In 2020, when George Floyd was killed and our cities were in a state of unrest, Shelly and Jerry began to wonder what the Christian Missionary Alliance was doing for this broken community and how they could help.

Moved by everything going on in the urban St. Paul neighborhood where their daughter lived, the Kragts began to do prayer walks in the cities starting in that neighborhood Their daughter and their Crown students would join them. Through the church planting director from the North Central District of the C&MA , they met the pastor, Taye Yami, of Zion Evangelical Fellowship Church, an Ethiopian church situated in the same building that housed revival over 100 years ago.

As the prayers and conversations continued, Pastor Taye shared his dream of planting a multiethnic church at Zion Evangelical Fellowship—something that the Kragts have done before. They offered to help plant the church, but only for the next year since they were still

planning to return to overseas ministry.

When they began to pray and ask God where they should go next, they continued to only hear Him ask them to stay, and that He would show what’s next. They obediently followed Him, uncertain of what would be next.

When Pastor Taye found out they were staying, he reached out to ask if they would help lead the multiethnic church plant. At that moment, they knew this was what God had for them.

To bring things even more full circle, the Kragts now live in the church parsonage on the same street corner where Crown College was birthed.

Shelly shared, “Although it has been hard not moving back overseas to what was home for so long, God has continually answered my ‘why’s’ as He moves in the neighborhood.”

In one recent encounter, Shelly and a few current Crown students were on a prayer walk and took time to pray for an apartment building that occupies the original St. Paul Bible Institute Building.

They prayed for the people living there and for God to meet them where they’re at. Only a few weeks later, the Kragts

were walking home from a Bible study and met two women standing in front of the same apartment building. Shelly noted, “It’s not normal to stop and talk to a stranger in our neighborhood.”

The two women shared that they had experienced radical encounters with the Lord in the previous couple of weeks. God was clearly at work, and the Kragts invited them to come to their church plant. Now, one of them has been attending and the other will start going to Bible study soon with Shelly.

In similar stories, the Kragts have witnessed God bring different generations of Crown students and alumni together to rebuild the community and partner with the church plant—in the exact place their alma mater began.

As a campus this year, Crown has focused on the theme All Things New —and just as the Kragts stated in asking God to bring revival again, we are believing for a rebirth of hope in the St. Paul community.

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During Homecoming Week, we officially unveiled our new patio and fireplace in the Courtyard. This dynamic, entertaining space has quickly become a favorite hang-out spot on campus for students and a source for multiple events, student activities, faculty and staff connecting space, study space, and so much more. I would like to give a special thank you to every donor for their generous support of this transformational project. Every gift matters!

Travis Whipple VP OF COLLEGE REL ATIONS

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STUDENTS ENJOY THE NEW OUTDOOR COMMUNIT Y SPACE

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CARSON + TWO MEMBERS OF THE CROWN COLLEGE SECURIT Y TEAM

Two Jobs + One Perfect Fit

By Nancy C. Zugschwert, MA

T

here are times when things fall into place so well, so unexpectedly, that there is a clear sense that God was behind all of it. Such is the case with the arrival of Carson Thomas, M.S., at Crown College.

Thomas arrived in August to serve dual roles as a new full-time faculty member in the Criminal and Social Justice program and as Director of Campus Safety. Crown College administrators had not been looking specifically for someone in either role, but when Thomas contacted Crown out of the blue, it appeared to be a match made in Heaven, and they needed to pursue it.

As an 18-year veteran law enforcement officer in California,

Thomas saw two possible career tracks when he felt called to move beyond his current position as a police sergeant.

The most obvious choice was to move up the ladder in the department, but the second choice—which felt more like a long shot—was to teach in a college setting. When door number one was closed (in part, because he “spoke too much about his faith” in an interview for a captain’s role), pursuing door number two jumped to the top of the list.

“Once that door closed,” Thomas recalled, “I said, ‘Okay, Lord, what do you want?’ I started looking at colleges that had justice studies or law enforcement degrees in the Christian field and found Crown to be one of the only ones in the nation with four-year

law enforcement degrees. I cold-emailed Dr. Henderson and said I’d like to find out more about the program.”

Conversations worth pursuing Melessa Henderson, Ph.D., J.D., has taught in the Criminal and Social Justice program for nine years, seeing it grow from nine students to nearly 40 while serving as the sole full-time faculty member. According to Henderson, the adjunct faculty in the program have performed with excellence, but the continued growth warranted considering additional full-time faculty. She and former Vice President of Academic Affairs Scott Moats, Ph.D., thought it wise to pursue discussions with Thomas.

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THOMAS FAMILY IN CALIFORNIA

With his background in law enforcement, it also became evident that Thomas could also be in a position to take campus safety at Crown to the next level. The conversations turned to explore the possibility of a dual role as a faculty member and as head of the Campus Safety department.

Vice President of Student Development and Campus Chaplain Bill Kuhn, Ed.D., provides executive oversight for Campus Safety. Kuhn noted that Crown has intentionally enhanced efforts to ensure a safe and secure campus in the past five years.

“We focused on things such as installing more cameras across campus and started a volunteer team of students to patrol the campus in the evenings,”

Kuhn said. “I think we are among the safest campuses in the state of Minnesota,” he noted, and explained that pursuing Thomas for the Campus Safety role was not in response to concerns or shortcomings in campus safety but was a proactive step to ensure a safe experience for the Crown community.

‘I’m supposed to be there’ Thomas was surprised yet pleased by the creativity Crown administrators showed in creating opportunities for him.

After he sent his resume and had several virtual conversations as part of a thorough selection process, Thomas received an invitation for an in-person

interview at Crown. Thomas believed the Lord was calling his family to Minnesota, but he also wanted to be sure the move to higher education was the right one. He applied for two police captain positions in Minnesota during the same period, but “God shut the doors there, too,” he said.

After his in-person interview, Thomas’s wife, Kimberly, asked him what he thought about the job. Thomas replied, “I think I’m supposed to be there.”

Kimberly said, “That’s what I’ve been thinking this whole time. I just wanted you to come to that conclusion on your own.” The Thomas family moved to Minnesota in August with their two younger children. Their oldest is attending college in California.

CONTINUED»

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The right direction Henderson believes Thomas is ideally suited to fill his roles at Crown.

“He has a resume that is off the charts,” she said. “I’m sure God picked him, because nobody else in the entire nation would have been a better fit to be a full-time professor at Crown College than Carson Thomas. Having two of us full-time will really grow the Criminal and Social Justice program, and now campus security will be more robust under his leadership.”

Thomas is excited to be part of training Christians for law enforcement and related fields. “Our men and women here at Crown are walking into a different justice system than I did twenty years ago,” Thomas said.

“And so, we are focused on grounding them biblically. We’re talking about how theology works into everyday police work and why it’s so important to be grounded in your faith.”

Crown’s Criminal and Social Justice programs already provided students with rich opportunities such as internships with judges and directly related jobs in the community. Now the full-time faculty is perfectly structured with the combination of Henderson’s background in law and policy and Thomas’s extensive experience in law enforcement.

On both fronts, Vice President Kuhn believes that with the arrival of Thomas, “We’re headed in a direction that will serve us for many years to come.”

CARSON THOMAS IN THE POLICE ACADEMY

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CROWN.EDU/ALUMNI/ALUMNI- RESOURCES/UPDATE-INFO ***WE WILL FEATURE RECENT UPDATES IN THE SPRING ’22 BRIDGED

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Homecoming 2021 Homecoming 2021 was a great time, full of joy and enthusiasm. You could feel the energy bringing the Crown community together!

Jared Gilmore SENIOR

The student atmosphere was electric at all the games!

Ethan Siira JUNIOR

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Homecoming 2021 has easily been the best homecoming yet at Crown College! It is safe to say that Homecoming 2022 has big shoes to fill! This year’s school theme is All Things New which was evident throughout the week.

Gracie Zieroth SENIOR

I loved that homecoming was so inclusive. There were events for every person to enjoy and the staff and faculty and student leaders worked really hard to have fun things to do all week long. It wasn’t just about sports.

Savannah Ellis SENIOR

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