North Wisconsin Bible Camp – August 1954

North Wisconsin. Cool summer camp. Seventy years ago at Crescent Lake Bible Camp near Rhinelander, Wisconsin, I met the Lord. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)

It wasn’t a sudden experience. It was a long time coming. The Lord abundantly blessed me, even though I didn’t realize it then.

Both my Mom and Dad were Christians. I was the sixth of seven children, and my parents wanted to raise us for the Lord. Early in their marriage, they became acquainted with a Christian ministry named Rural Bible Crusade. At that time, the state allowed Christians to teach the Bible in rural public schools. Rural Bible Crusade (RBC) sent two lady missionaries out to the rural schools, and they would hold Bible classes for the children and present a Bible Memory program. They taught who God is and what Jesus had done for us on the cross. Many children accepted Christ as Savior. RBC also told them about an exciting camp opportunity.

Rural Bible Crusade camps were unusual. You could not pay your way to camp. It was all funded by gifts. Each child had to earn their way to camp. The requirement for the first year at camp was to memorize 500 pre-selected verses (yes – 500) and say them to a responsible adult. That adult would verify and report to RBC. Then you could go to camp. The campers were required to say some of those verses to a camp staff member. The second year of RBC camp required 250 verses. You had to complete an assigned Bible study course in the third and subsequent years. Each year, about 200 campers met the requirements and attended camp.

Mom and Dad considered this  RBC program extremely valuable. Mom’s job was to teach and shepherd each of us kids through the Bible memory program. She started with me at age 5. For two years, she consistently worked with me almost daily. I completed the 500 verses at age 7. I went to camp for the first time in August of the following summer (1949). I was scared to death. It was my first time away from home (less than 20 miles away), and I was not used to being with so many people and sleeping in a cabin with many other boys I didn’t know. One or two of my brothers were there but not near me.

I had a great time! There were games and team sports. The camp staff divided the campers into about eight teams. There was competition in softball, volleyball, water sports, scavenger hunts and more. Every afternoon, there was swimming and boating.

There were morning Bible classes. Although I had been in Sunday School and church all my life, I found there was a lot to learn about the Bible and Jesus. After supper, every night, there were preaching services. The counselors knew how to keep order, and we all listened.

Time passed. I went to camp every summer. The sixth summer at camp was life-changing. I sat through the morning Bible classes. We all had a great time in the afternoon with team sports, games, and swimming. But I was miserable in the evening preaching services. I sat in preaching services and endured them all my life without much interest. But this week was different.

The preaching and teaching accumulated in my heart and mind, and the Holy Spirit convicted me in a way I had never experienced before. I don’t remember the preacher’s name or the subject of his message. But I was so under conviction Wednesday night that I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t go forward for the invitation, but right after the service, I grabbed my counselor and told him I needed to talk to him. I think he was a young Bible college student whose name was Gary. Gary took me to a park bench looking out over Crescent Lake. He took me through the plan of salvation, and that night, I received Jesus Christ as my Savior.

I was so excited. I could hardly wait to get home on Saturday to tell my parents what had happened. The next week I told my long-time buddy, Dennis, all about it – and he accepted Christ. It was an exciting beginning, and it has changed my life over the years since then.

But there was another event that week that changed my life, too. I had made friends several years before with two brothers who were musicians. One played violin, and the other played piano. As we had fun together, talked, and listened to their music, I made a decision. I wanted to make music too.

I had started in band the preceding year, playing the alto horn. I stuck with that and later switched to the trumpet. My parents said I could take piano lessons if I would work to pay for them. I found a piano teacher who needed someone to do her yard work. She would trade piano lessons for yard work. She taught one and one-half hour lessons for $1.50. (This was in the 1950’s.)  All went well. I participated and won in some competitions and then started college as a piano major. That changed when the Lord directed me to prepare for the pastorate, but I continued with a music ministry for many years after that. I still love music and play the piano at home now.

Many years have passed. Those several years of learning Bible verses under my mother’s tutelage contributed significantly to my salvation experience. I am ever thankful for her love, patience, and longsuffering with me. She grounded me in the Word, and it has stuck with me. Also, the Rural Bible Crusade was highly influential in my life. Those godly missionaries and dedicated camp staff produced much eternal fruit for God’s glory.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  (Proverbs 3:5-6).