Rand Hummel , director of The Wilds of New England, was the guest speaker Feb. 23-25 during Winterfest at Maranatha. He spent 30 years at The Wilds in North Carolina, speaking to nearly 15,000 teens each summer. He has authored eight books, three in a Bible meditation series, as well as eight six-week Bible studies.
Q: Tell us about the progress at the Wilds of New England as you look toward the camp opening this summer.
A: God opened the door in September of 2008 to a camp built in the late 1800s or early 1900s near Deering, New Hampshire. There are 110 acres and all of the zoning and permits were in place. Our goal is to replace the old cabins with winterized facilities over the next three or four years. We would need about $250,000 to get up to speed. Someone recently donated $25,000 worth of bunk beds and mattresses, so that was a great blessing. We are planning three weeks of teen camp and two weeks of junior camp this summer.
Q: We have heard you preach more than 300 sermons per year. Is that true?
A: It’s actually between 340 and 370 most years. I preached 19 times last week. There may be some repetition in my messages, but I’ve also been doing this 30 years, so I have accumulated some material over time. Every preacher has a “life message.” My impression is that (Maranatha President) Dr. Charles Phelps’ life message is serious exposition of Scripture. Mine is twofold: “God wants the best for your life” and “Meditate on Scripture.” Those are my two life messages.
Q: You once wrote a book called “The Dark Side of the Internet.” Should the Internet be something we avoid or something we utilize?
A: It’s where the kids are. It’s a way to train kids to do things right. There are passages of Scripture that talk about what you should do with your cell phone and your computer. You need to think on things that are true and pure and honest. You need to honor your parents. If you spend two hours waiting for someone to write on your Wall, and you won’t give your mom 10 minutes, how is that honoring your parents?
Q: So the Internet is not something Christians should abandon?
A: That’s not reality. That’s not life. Your computer can be a great tool for Bible study. I have a PC Study Bible with so many add-ons, I don’t need a library.
Q: Isn’t 3,671 Facebook friends some kind of record?
A: I never read my Wall, but there were 85 messages in my Inbox this morning. One said, “Pray for my family, my baby sister died.” The next one said, “Pray for my brother, he thinks he’s homosexual.” That’s the stuff I get day after day. It gives me an awful lot to pray about.
Q: Being around young people helps keep you young. But, do you ever catch yourself sounding like a teenager when you talk?
A: It used to bother me a lot, especially when I would get together with guys I graduated from college with. I say ‘like’ a lot more than most preachers. But, I’m not a college president, I’m a camp director. A long time ago, I chose to tell all the kids to call me “Rand.” It’s not disrespect. If I told them to call me “Dr. Hummel,” it could be a barrier to me ministering to them.
Q: So, you’re not ashamed to be the world’s oldest teenager. How old are you, really?
A: I’m 52. No, change that, I’m 40-12. I’m not going to do the 50 thing.
--Posted by Andrew Call, 2-25-09