The Silent Guardian of the Sanctuary

While Pastors proclaim the Gospel from the pulpit, Facilities Engineer Eugene Venechanos has spent over five decades carrying out a profound ministry in the dark crawlspaces, hidden boiler rooms, and halls of HP Pres. Eugene first arrived on campus from New Jersey in the summer of 1972, staying across the street with his aunt and uncle, who were home on furlough as missionaries to the Congo. Struggling as a teenager with deep questions about faith, Eugene took a part-time summer maintenance job under pipe-fitter R.J. Klans and carpenter Buddy Lear. 

In the spring of 1973, the warm, welcoming environment of the church hall catalyzed a powerful spiritual renewal in his life. Though he briefly left for college with dreams of becoming a missionary pilot, Eugene realized his true calling was to serve with his hands. He returned to the church staff, transforming the care of the physical campus into a lifelong, prayer-soaked ministry in stewardship.

Over the next 50 years, Eugene became the living mechanical anchor of our campus, navigating everything from complex computer programming behind Classroom 8 to midnight repairs. His ultimate test came on the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday in 1986, when a ruptured water heater flooded the boiler room with five feet of water. Acting quickly, Eugene cut the main power grid and sprinted out into the dark to manually wrench shut the street water valve, saving the equipment from destruction and forcing the staff to swing the historic sanctuary windows wide open for fresh-air ventilation during the Easter services. 

From floods to quietly ensuring a homeless neighbor named Fred could access the gym showers, Eugene’s default posture has always been to pray through every breakdown, personal or mechanical. Guarding the blueprints of the Alexander, Currie, and Elliott buildings, he has proven that a servant’s heart and a wrench are vital instruments to the Kingdom of God.