by Jadyn Aldrich
Class of 2025
A person’s college years can be pivotal, but for Rev. Eric Marx, they were life changing. Marx is a notable Crown College Alumni from the Class of 1983 who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Theology. Recently retired, Eric shared that he has spent about 25, faithful years serving in different forms of ministry. God has used Eric in incredible ways to further His Kingdom. However, perhaps equally as incredible was Eric’s journey in reaching this point.
Eric did not grow up in the faith. Instead, he became a Christian in 1976 in a Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) church, and it was through this church that he heard about Crown College. At the time, he was studying at the University of Montana, but he became interested in a “Bible in a year” program that Crown was offering. So, he packed up his pickup truck and drove alone, from Missoula, MT to St. Bonifacius. After touring the college, Eric shared he had a sense that it was the right place to be. He made the decision to transfer to Crown, selling his pickup truck to help cover the costs and moving in on campus without knowing a soul. In reflection, he shared that it was “a step out in faith, like Abraham leaving his homeland, and I never looked back.” It was at Crown that Eric said he felt he received the discipleship and Christian fellowship that he had lacked in his early years as a Christian.
Eric’s conversion to faith had also led to a major lifestyle switch. As a newer believer at a Christian school, he often felt his peers were seeking answers to difficult questions while he was still “learning what questions to ask.” But these strong Christian friendships were some of the most influential forces on his life and faith development. Eric found close friends whom he could not only laugh with while creating parody songs and pranking each other, but who stood alongside him and encouraged him to go deeper in his faith. Such classmates included current C&MA President John Stumbo (1983) and Dr. Don Bouchard who is now one of Crown’s beloved humanities professors.
Eric also greatly appreciated the mentorship and kindness of his own faculty and staff. While his experience at Crown as positive overall, it was also a time filled with grief in his personal life. Before graduating, he had mourned the loss of both of his parents. Sadly, his mother passed away during his first year at Crown and his father passed away during his senior year. In the difficult time following the loss of his mother, Eric received a letter of condolence from one of his professors, Dr. Hustad (1969). This was a gesture of kindness that Eric has never forgotten. Another of his favorite professors was Dr. Don Alexander, who taught Romans. Eric realized how much the Crown staff and faculty truly cared about the students. “They cared not only about you academically, but as a person,” he said.
Post-graduation, Eric said he felt equipped to enter into ministry with strong scriptural knowledge and spiritual roots. “You have to have a head for ministry, but you also must develop the heart,” Eric said. Crown allowed him the opportunity to do both. As a student, Eric participated in a variety of service and ministry opportunities, including serving on the missionary cabinet, operating as a chair of the Thursday morning prayer bands alongside another notable member Rev. Jonathan Wiggins (1984); and participating in a six-week, summer missions trip to Indonesia through the Alliance Youth Core. Each of these experiences, and particularly the Indonesia trip, functioned as key learning experiences.
Crown’s C&MA affiliation also made it easier for Eric to work within the denomination. Immediately after graduation, Eric became involved in church planting in the Rocky Mountain District with former classmate Rodney VanSchooten (1982). Two years later he was invited to return to Crown to lead as an assistant dean of men, where he served alongside Assistant Dean of Women Dr. Karen Gustafson, a current Associate Professor of Psychology at Crown now fondly known to the student body as “Dr. G.”
Eric says he never would have imagined how God would use Crown to change his life. He advised new and incoming Crown students to make the most of their experience by embracing the campus life through attending spiritual development opportunities, getting involved in extracurriculars (his own sport of choice was cross-country), and making friends with people who will help deepen your faith. When asked about advice for recent or upcoming Crown graduates, he wanted to remind them that the Christian life is a long-term commitment. Your own plans will change, but ultimately one must surrender them to God and let His will be done. “God makes beautiful pictures,” Eric said, and he encourages graduates to trust the process.
Eric’s story is inspiring, and it is a great display of God’s sovereignty. For Eric, Crown was key. In his own words, “I came for an education and gained an experience.” Since leaving, God has continually used Eric’s faith, wisdom, and gift of encouragement to uplift those around him. His testimony demonstrates that God has a plan for our lives greater than we can imagine, and, even when it may not seem obvious, we can trust that it is beautiful.
