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Development officer climbs
mountains for fun

Carole Crowley has climbed Mr. St. Helens and Mt. Hood

During the week, Carole Crowley, Multnomah Bible College's Development Officer, wears tailored suits, high heels, matching necklaces and earrings. But in her free time, she sports jeans, a backpack and climbing boots so she can scale mountains.

In 1985, Mrs. Crowley joined fellow employees at Tektronix and started conditioning to climb mountains. She climbed Mt. St. Helens in preparation for climbing Mt. Hood, which was her ultimate goal. She also climbed Mt. Defiance, Table Mountain and Mt. Hamilton.

In 1992, Mrs. Crowley climbed Mt. Hood and reached the summit. When the group left Timberline at 1 a.m., she wondered what she was doing. The air was cold, so cold her water bottle froze. The group reached the summit in eight hours. Mrs. Crowley had always been interested in good health, and that promoted her interest in hiking. "I love being outdoors. It's so exhilarating to be close to nature and close to God's many creations," Mrs. Crowley said.

Prior to reaching the summit of Mt. Hood, there is a steep chasm referred to as "the pearly gates," which goes straight up and down and is solid ice. Going up is not too bad, but when coming down, the drop is straight down. Mrs. Crowley said she started thinking about how dangerous the climb was and she wondered what she was doing there. But she said the beauty is incredible. She will never forget watching the sun come up on Mt. Hood. Besides mountain climbing, Mrs. Crowley participated in the Portland Marathon in 1992 and in the Hood to Coast race three times.

Mrs. Crowley worked for Tektronix for 28 years before coming to MBC. She met Erma Wolever and her husband, Dick, while working at Tektronix. Mrs. Wolever worked as a manager in the soldering area, and Mrs. Crowley managed the information display order department.

The two women attended manager meetings over the years. Because they were the only women on the managerial staff, they brought a different perspective to the meetings.

Mrs. Wolever said they worked for a difficult boss, but they brought a note of humor to the meetings that lightened up things and made the meetings more fun.

Mrs. Wolever said that Mrs. Crowley didn't know the Lord when she first met her. "She had a love for God, but she didn't have a personal relationship with the Lord," Mrs. Wolever said. Over the years, Mrs. Wolever shared things about the Lord with Mrs. Crowley. Mrs. Wolever invited Mrs. Crowley to a banquet where Chuck Swindoll spoke, and she enjoyed the banquet. Mrs. Wolever said Mrs. Crowley always had questions, but she was reluctant to make a commitment.

Then one Saturday, Mrs. Crowley met Mrs. Wolever at Miller's Homestead restaurant for breakfast, and Mrs. Crowley started to cry. Mrs. Wolever asked her if she had given her life to Christ, and Mrs. Crowley said yes. Mrs. Wolever started crying, too. She said that was a joyful day, and she was excited for Mrs. Crowley. "Dick and I were there when Carole was baptized," Mrs. Wolever said. "It was a privilege to be there and share that time with her."

When Mrs. Crowley retired from Tektronix, she never dreamed that she would work at Multnomah. She didn't plan to work again when she retired, but she had thought about doing something part time. Then Mrs. Wolever called to tell her about the position in the development department. Her job is not part time, but she said she loves what she does.

"My salary here is what I used to pay in taxes at Tektronix, but the rewards are much more significant. I am contributing to God's work," she said. "I feel more fulfilled knowing that I am an extension of His hand. I see that I am making a difference in someone's life. The money is not important. Tektronix was just a job; this is very rewarding and satisfying."

Mrs. Crowley has worked for MBC for five years. She prepares the mailings that go out from the development department several times a month, helps with events and works with students on the phone-a-thon.

Each October, L110 is transformed into a phone center where students make calls to donors, thanking the people for donating to Multnomah's student aid. The development department targets a group to call. This year they chose alumni. In addition to students who call donors, other students pray for the donors. Across the hall in L101, a group of students prayed for requests. "Many nights there are more than 250 requests for prayer, and students are on their faces before the Lord praying for the donors' requests," Mrs. Crowley said. "Prayer is an important part of Mrs. Crowley's life," Mrs. Wolever said, "Carole is a prayer warrior. She doesn't say she will pray for you unless she means it."

Mrs. Crowley said the favorite part of her job is working with students. "Each year, new students come in [to the phone-a-thon] apprehensive and fearful, but within an hour it's a ministry for them. I have seen students come to school in the fall, and I thought they wouldn't make it. And then I see God change their lives," Mrs. Crowley said.

Mrs. Wolever and Mrs. Crowley have continued to develop their 33-year friendship. They enjoy escaping to Ross Dress for Less on Tuesdays because it is senior citizens' discount day. They eat lunch together. They are called "Thelma and Louise" at MBC because you always see them together.

One day when they were driving back to school, Mrs. Crowley saw a plant hanging in the window of a house. She liked it so much she stopped at the house to ask about the plant. She knocked at the door, but no one was home. Mrs. Wolever said Mrs. Crowley does that kind of thing all the time. She sees something intriguing and she inquires about it.

Mrs. Crowley comes from a small town at Vermont's northern tip near the Canadian border. "There were 400 people in the town, and 399 of them were Catholic. I marvel that even then the Lord had a plan for me," she said. Mrs. Crowley moved to Portland in 1963, and she has been in the Northwest ever since.

Mrs. Crowley and her husband, Tom, have six grown children and 14 grandchildren. Although her children are scattered in other states, they consider Portland home. She said the holidays in their home are hectic and a lot of fun.

Besides mountain climbing, she also enjoys boating, fishing and traveling in their motor home. She loves to decorate her home, and she does much of the decorating for the banquets and luncheons that MBC hosts.