Dr. Harry Walls will depart from the student life team at The Master’s University this summer having left an indelible mark on campus.

Walls, who has served as campus pastor since 2015 and vice president of student life since 2018, has accepted a position as executive pastor at Stonebridge Bible Church in Brentwood, Tenn. He and his wife, Karon, made the decision because recent family health challenges with Karon’s parents made it necessary to live closer to them.

The move marks the end of Walls’ second successful run at TMU. From 1985 to 1988, he served as the dean of men, helping lead student life in the early years after the school’s transition from Los Angeles Baptist College to The Master’s College.

Asked about Walls, TMU President Abner Chou pointed to 1 Thessalonians 5:14, which calls on leaders to “admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

“This is an absolute must in student life,” Chou said, “requiring immense discernment to know those who must be firmly addressed and those who need encouragement. For this reason, I am so thankful to the Lord for Harry. His biblical wisdom and pastoral experience, accrued over years of ministry and even suffering, has been invaluable to student life at TMU.”

Dr. Harry Walls’ time at TMU has been characterized by his genuine, Christlike care for those around him.

Chou went on to praise Walls for his “strength of conviction, insightful questions, boldness and fearlessness, as well as compassion. It is a rare combination but a necessary one to lead this campus to be fixed to Christ and Scripture,” Chou said.

In 1988, Walls left what was then The Master’s College to accept an associate pastor position at Shades Mountain Independent Church in Birmingham, Ala. He eventually became senior pastor, serving the church for a total of 27 years. In the time he was away, he stayed connected to TMU and The Master’s Seminary, serving on the board of trustees from 2000 to 2015 and regularly speaking in chapel. He returned to TMU in 2015 as campus pastor, a role that allowed him to minister to anyone on campus, no matter what department they called home.

In 2018, he became vice president of student life, setting the vision for discipleship on campus by providing leadership for chapel, student life deans and resident directors. His goal was to continue to refine and execute on the mission he helped establish when he arrived in the 80’s: a focus on heart transformation, sanctifying relationships and helping students become “free-standing moral agents” who love Christ and Scripture.

Dr. Harry Walls has not only given direction and leadership to chapel over the years — he’s also regularly preached himself.

For his part, Walls has loved the opportunity to minister to students.

“I love being around young people and having the opportunity to be an impactful voice during a strategic time of their lives,” he said.

Walls said he’ll especially miss serving with his staff in student life.

“I love my staff over there,” he said. “We got work done, but we had so much fun.”

Brett Zamroz, TMU’s dean of men, said it would be hard to overestimate Walls’ impact at TMU.

“He’s everyone’s confidant and counselor,” Zamroz said. “His name is synonymous with biblical priorities like love for God, love for family, others-centricity, handling difficulty with patient faith, biblical meditation, wisdom, reconciliation, and restoration.”

Zamroz said he has seen Walls faithfully live out these priorities and instill them in the staff and students under his care.

“The culture in student life and amongst the student body reflects a normative, balanced, biblical, and authentic Christianity largely due to his vision and influence,” Zamroz said. “I’m so grateful for his legacy and for his innumerable investments into my life and into our school.”

Over the years, Walls has also served at Grace Community Church as an elder and fellowship group pastor and at The Master’s Seminary as an adjunct professor. In 2021, TMS awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity.

Walls plans to remain connected to the University and Seminary, but he says that doesn’t make it easy to leave.

“I will truly miss it,” Walls said. “I hate to leave. I love what I do, and I will continue to support it in every way I can. The people who work here are here for the mission and the Master. That matters; it impacts everything. This isn’t heaven. We’re not finished yet — none of us are. But it’s a small taste of heaven.”