Remembering Paul Walters

September 13, 2018

Paul “Grey Owl” Walters, National FCF President, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 7, 2018. Paul was born in Front Royal, VA and is the son of Paul H. Walters and the late Betty C. Walters. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Evangel University in Springfield, MO, which is where he also met his wife, Vicki. They have been married for nearly 37 years and have lived in Houston, TX; Newark, DE; and Landenberg, PA.

Paul first joined Royal Rangers in 1967 as a Pioneer in Outpost 14 at the Assembly of God church his father pastored in Catlett, VA. He joined FCF in 1976 and then earned his Gold Medal of Achievement (GMA) in 1977 while at First Assembly of God in Elkton, MD (Outpost 64). He was the first GMA recipient in the Potomac district.

He became an outpost commander at age 18 and served with outposts in Maryland, Texas, and Delaware. Paul most recently served at Outpost 284, Praise Assembly in Newark, DE.

Paul served in various FCF positions, including Delaware sectional FCF representative; George Washington (Penn-Del District) chapter vice president and later president; and Colonials (Northeast region) territorial representative. In April 2005, he was appointed FCF national vice president. In April 2009, he was appointed FCF national president. He was also instrumental in leading the most recent updates and direction of FCF, including the new handbook and arrowhead merits.

Paul had a vision to connect FCF with everyone who was involved in Royal Rangers. He had a special burden for young men who had grown up in Rangers and FCF to see them connected to outposts that would continue to mentor them while they were in college or the military. He often spoke of FCF as a bridging vehicle to assist young men into manhood. He saw that vision become reality with the completion of the FCF workbooks through the Torchbearer, Armor Bearer, and Warrior themes that were folded into these new workbooks.

Paul spoke at hundreds of Royal Rangers and FCF events over the years and saw thousands of boys and men come to Christ for the very first time. He saw thousands more decide to follow hard after God and to “keep it between the lines” as he used to say. He had an ability to capture people’s attention and then make a difference in their lives that they would never forget.

He also had a tremendous impact on people around the world through his love for missions and his willingness to “give and to serve” to the nations around the world through his many Pathfinder Missions trips. He took great pride in leading and participating in these trips that took him to remote and difficult places around the globe to build churches and spread the message of Jesus Christ.