The Reverend H. W. Crowder is Director of Development at Northwest College. He joined the college staff in 1955 with the portfolio assignment of Assistant to the President in which position he devoted himself primarily to fund-raising for the College. His present position is his third, and was preceded by his ten-year tenure as College Business Manager from 1957 to 1966.

A Washingtonian by birth, the Reverend Mr. Crowder was brought up in the little community of Tenino, near Olympia. Shortly after his graduation from the Tenino High School, he entered the ministry, taking the pastorate of the Yelm Assembly of God Church near Tenino. h. w. Crowder He was ordained to the ministry by the Northwest District Council of the Assemblies of God in 1935.

Following his initial pastorate at Yelm he served in pastorates at Olympia, Oak Harbor, Deer Park and Auburn until 1939. He then left pastoral work temporarily to enter business, serving on the sales staff of the Western Auto Company. In 1944 he resumed pastoral service, this time at the Morton Assembly of God Church in Morton, Washington. In 1946 he moved to Olympia where he pastored the East Olympia Community Church while also working as local manager for the Crown-Zellerbach Paper Company. After another two-year interim from 1951-52 during which he was Sales Manager for the John Mansville Company in Grays Harbor County, he took the pastorate of the Colfax Assembly of God Church from which he came to Northwest College in 1952.

Not only has Mr. Crowder drawn upon his experience in the business world for his work at the College, but he has managed to “ sandwich” in some academic work along the way. He completed a course in Business Administration with the LaSalle University in 1957 and took some course work at Northwest College in 1957-58. The Reverend Mr. Crowder’s wife, Minerva V. Crowder, was raised in the manse of a Methodist minister. Mrs. Crowder teaches organ at the College. The Crowders have one daughter, Mrs. Glen N. Rich, whose husband is a minister of the Assemblies of God.

--The Northwesterner, June 1967 (https://archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/22477)

Rev. Herbert Crowder, a former pastor in the Northwest District is serving as our very capable public relations director. He has taken the interests of the college to heart and labored hard in getting news of the college and its graduates to the people of the Montana and Northwest Districts through a bi-monthly bulletin. He is working hard towards furthering the campus needs of the college. He also promotes the Living Endowment plan and the newly planned "Share Club."

--Karisma, 1955-1956 (https://archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/2317)

Minerva was an applied music instructor at Northwest College. She taught organ, piano, and accordion.

--Karisma 1964-1965 (https://archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/11834)

Additional items about Herbert and Minerva Crowder are available in the Archives. Selected items of general interest are listed below.