Dear Manna U Community:
Dr. Steven Crowther has served as President of Manna University since 2003. After many months of battling cancer, Dr. Crowther has completed his fight and has finished running his race. On Friday, April 22 he went on to his eternal reward where he now resides in the presence of our King and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Please keep his wife Terri and his whole family in your prayers.
A Celebration of Life Service for Dr. Crowther will be held at 10:30am on May 13, 2022.
- Location: Manna Church Worship Center
5117 Cliffdale Road, Building B
Fayetteville, NC 28314 - Bright and/or tropical attire may be worn to celebrate Dr. Crowther’s life and his love for the beach.
For those interested in contributing to Dr. Crowther’s legacy, a Memorial Fund has been created in his honor.Â
As I reflect on the impact that a man of God has had on my life, as he is called home to glory to be with Jesus in heaven. Steve Crowther and his influence on the faculty, student body, and their families is profound. His efforts as an educator, professor, and spiritual leader are manifest in my education, and ministry, as he was part of God’s greater plan to move the hands and feet of the peoples lives he touched as a result of the Holy Spirits prompting I am so grateful to have met, and interacted with Dr. Crowther in classes online, and at my graduation when I completed my undergraduate at GCD. The direct, and indirect influence Dr. Crowther has made will continue to be a powerful testimony for his obedience to God, and the calling he answered to do kingdom work so many years ago.
God bless you Dr. Steve Crowther
Dr. Crowther exemplified the life of Christ in his interactions with me. I enjoyed his classes; most importantly, I appreciated his example. He demonstrated humility in his interactions and always seemed to have a sensitivity for ministry opportunities. He encouraged me greatly at the height of the COVID pandemic. He will be greatly missed. Nevertheless, the life he lived continues to be a “memorial” and standard for others to follow. I pray that God will heal and comfort the hearts of the Manna University family and his personal family.
I once told Dr. Crowther he was one of a handful of men with whom I would gladly charge the gates of hell with a water pistol. Dr. Crowther was a man of power and I’m grateful to have been his student.
Our prayers for peace and comfort for his family, the church and the University.
I met Dr. Crowther and his wife at a GCD event. We shared a table. He was gracious, kind, and engaging. He was friendly, even though he did not know me. I will not forget the investment he made by just doing that.
Dr. Crowther encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D. and mentored me every step of the way. He gave me my first job in higher education. He was a father and a friend to me. There’s no Dr. Serrano without Dr. Steve Crowther.
My prayers go out to the Crowther family. So sorry for your loss.
I remember Dr. Crowther teaching with such passion, which made learning intriguing. Second, he pushed me to higher levels of thinking. Third, he also caused me to rise to occasions that developed me as a woman of God. I am very grateful to have known him.
Tamica Kirkland
Dr. Crowther led with deep wisdom and disarming humor. I asked for his advice with a troubling situation many years ago, and he said through a smile: “You’ll find that most people are still in middle school.” I laughed at the realization that God is at work to help his children grow up (me included).
Dr. Steven Crowther was such a great man of God who impacted our lives. As students at Manna University, we remember his passion for developing great Christian leaders. His love and humility are still alive in our hearts. His character and the way he related with his students inspired us to desire excellence in our ministry. We will never forget him. His work will continue to influence us and the next generations. We are praying for his family and Manna University that God will comfort them. And, until we will meet him in heaven, we will continue doing the work that he instructed us.
Romanian students: Vali Paul, Traian Sandor-Martin, Sunny Tranca, Nicu Zaharie.
Dr. and Mrs. Crowther met me with grace in one of the most difficult times in my life, a time when I felt as if grace wasn’t an option for me. I will never forget looking across the table from Dr.C crying, thinking I was going to be met with anger or disappointment but he stated, “grace is not just our name it’s who we are.” Thank you, Dr. Crowther, for being the greatest example of grace I’ve ever encountered in a person. Much love and prayers for the Crowther and Ertel families in this time, and thank you for sharing your husband, father, and grandfather with us.
Praying for Dr. Crowther’s family. He was such a kind man and his wife is such a sweet lady. He truly was a man of God and I know we will all miss him.
– Matthew 22:32
Dr. Crowther was an amazing man who helped many come to Christ. I loved him and he was very wise. He gave me lots of good advice every time I spoke with him. He led an amazing life and had many wonderful stories that I loved to listen to. I will miss him very much.
My heart, love, and prayers goes out to the family of Dr. Crowther, a true general of faith. He will be missed on this side, but on the other side (heaven) he is encouraging us to keep going in the mist of all oppositions and to be strong in the work of the kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
There are men that know an extraordinary degree about God and then there are men that know God extraordinarily. Dr. Crowther was a unique leader of both camps. His understanding transcended knowledge into truth. Hearts obtained peace, even by proximity. I’ve never known anyone as wise, resolute, or compassionate as Dr. Steven Crowther. His life will continue to inspire me and so many others.
I never got to meet Dr. Crowther personally, but even today, as I am writing a paper, his wisdom is influencing me; not just me, his influence has been seen in our little family. It is funny how God uses someone in people’s lives without them ever knowing. My 17-year-old has had college baseball scouts looking at him this year, his Junior year. He has been striving towards a D1 college his entire life, so when he told me about a small private college I had never heard of with a good baseball program in Georgia (we are in TN), I was surprised. I have several of Dr. Crowther’s books and papers. I came across Dr. Crowther’s book on exegetical analysis while doing research that night and to my surprise, next to one of the co-authors’ names was Toccoa Falls College, the exact college my son had asked about. I felt God speaking to our family through that connection, so we sent our son to attend their camp. He may not get a scholarship there, but after visiting, he now says he wants to look at Christian colleges in addition to D1 schools. Dr. Crowther hasn’t just changed the lives of individuals; he is changing families and generations with his influence. I go to his wisdom on Servant Leadership often. His impact on this world will echo through the ages. My prayers go out to his friends and family. What a celebration is going on in Heaven!
Dr. Crowther embodied an adventurous life with Jesus. He humbly and faithfully modeled sacrificial service/kingdom advancement. I remember him taking the time on multiple occasions to personally help me with school, finances, logistics, and even extra-curricular stuff (like personally helping me edit a paper to be presented at a scholar forum, where he also showed up in person with personal support) and he always cared to hear more about the exciting ways God is working in the lives of those around him. I am praying for the family who has also shown me this kind of care and thanking God for their continued legacy.
I am sorry to hear about the passing of Dr. Crowther. My warmest thoughts and prayers are with the Manna U family.
Dr. Crowther was my first professor when I started attending GCD. I remember countless hours of reading his books, lectures and watching videos as he taught about how God calls us and shapes us into kingdom leaders. I pray that his life and legacy leave a lasting imprint on our community and faith family. May God bring sovereign peace and grace to his family and friends during this season. May we each walk in the assurance of God’s mighty love – all the days of our life.
Rebecca Allup
Dr. Crowther was my mentor, my teacher, my boss, the one who saw my calling. He showed me with his example what it was like to be a servant leader who was effective. He taught me that you can lead well while loving the people you lead. His love for other cultures, especially the Latin culture, my culture, mixed with his extensive knowledge of leadership and the Bible, helped me understand my own calling and to love my culture while advancing God’s Kingdom without denying who God made me to be. What a deep change such teachings had on my soul. God used Dr. Crowther to show me my calling. With his departure to be with Jesus, I was reminded of the brevity of life and was inspired to give my youth, my time, and my gifts into this calling. Rest in peace, Doctor C, I will be forever grateful.
Dr. Crowther was my mentor, my teacher, my boss, the one who saw my calling. He showed me with his example what it was like to be a servant leader who was effective. He taught me that you can lead well while loving the people you lead. His love for other cultures, especially the Latin culture, my culture, mixed with his extensive knowledge of leadership and the Bible, helped me understand my own calling and to love my culture while advancing God’s Kingdom without denying who God made me to be. What a deep change such teachings had on my soul. God used Dr. Crowther to show me my calling. With his departure to be with Jesus, I was reminded of the brevity of life and was inspired to give my youth, my time, and my gifts into this calling. Rest in peace, Doctor C, I will be forever grateful.
My gratitude to Dr. Crowther is of such great magnitude that I hope to have the opportunity to repay him by serving according to his teachings. I was honored to have shared time with him while he was my Master’s professor, my mentor, and the excellent chatter during analysis and unforgettable conversations. Among his remarkable qualities was the trust he placed in everyone around him, which adds to many other reasons he continues to inspire many more lives in addition to those of of us who benefited from his teachings.
Dear Friends and Family of Dr. Steve Crowther,
I feel so thankful for the humble spirit which Steve shared with me. In 2002 he led a course on Calling in Grace Church, where I remember how passionately and understandably he ministered to us as a body of Christian students. When I came over from Germany for an evangelism course in 2010, Steve was very flexible in setting me up to take the class, even with the difficulties that come with taking an occasional course now and then. I treasure Steve as a man of flexibility out of his love for Jesus and his dedication to His Kingdom. I feel sad that he is not with us. At the same time, I know he is doing well. God bless you, Steve, you are a dedicated brother and friend.
Best,
Jim Keith