Southwestern hosts thousands of students in summer Fuge Camps

Despite the summer break, some areas of campus have not slowed down as about 2,000 middle and high school students from Texas and neighboring states visited Southwestern Seminary to participate in Fuge Camps hosted by the seminary for a fourth year.

This year, seven of the Lifeway-sponsored, week-long camps were held at Southwestern. The final two weeks, Chandler Snyder, vice president for enrollment and student services, was the camp preacher and said he saw a number of students make commitments to the Lord, whether through a profession of faith or a commitment to follow His calling to missions or other ministry.

“I was a summer camp kid,” said Snyder, who also serves as dean of students. “And that’s the story of a lot of people who grew up in Baptist life. … It’s a pivotal week in the life of a student throughout the course of a year. Where they’re out of their normal element and they’re kind of thrust into a moment to think on and reflect on the Word,” whether in worship or in Bible studies during the week.

During the seven weeks of camp, the leaders reported 96 professions of faith, 146 recommitments, 10 called to ministry, and five students expressing a call to missions.

Dean of Students Chandler Snyder speaks as the camp preacher during the Fuge Camps at Southwestern.

“I think it’s been a very profitable [summer],” said Debra Walton, the events coordinator for Southwestern who had a large part in organizing the Fuge camps. “It is fun to see, to look out over the campus and see it busy.”

Snyder and Walton both emphasized that hosting the camps took the combined efforts of the entire campus, including campus housing, facilities, Student Life, the events team, the Recreation and Aerobics Center, and many other Southwestern staff members. Faculty were also involved, as they prayed with staffers each week and hosted those camp workers for homemade meals each Sunday. Walton said everyone seem to work together with good spirits, even when the task was something outside of their normal responsibilities.

“It’s the perfect example of how Southwestern, we really put our money where our mouth is when it comes to being about evangelism and pastoral ministry,” Snyder said. “We roll out the red carpet for our campus, for our camp. … It’s the perfect blend of this campus community being about students, campers coming here to engage with the Gospel for the first time or the millionth time.”

In surveys submitted by campers, church leaders, and staffers, Walton said she has received several comments complimenting how beautiful the campus is, how well-maintained it is, and how safe they felt during the camp weeks.

“What’s great about our partnership with them,” Snyder said, “it’s very advantageous for us because it highlights excellence of our amenities and our campus community and our faculty; the way that we go about partnership.”

Snyder said each week he had the opportunity to share with students and their leaders about Texas Baptist College, the seminary’s undergraduate school, and even present a scholarship to one of the high school students. As a result, some of the counselors said they want to attend TBC and have already started their applications.

“So, it’s very advantageous for us, not only financially from a revenue standpoint over the summer, but an investment standpoint in our student population,” Snyder said.

The theme of this summer’s Fuge camps was Revival Generation. During times of preaching throughout the week, Snyder spoke to the students about mankind’s sinful nature, the message of judgment, followed by the hope found in the Gospel and the necessary response of repentance and faith which can lead to revival. He used examples of revival from the Scriptures such as Israel when the ark of the covenant returned, Jonah, and Paul. He also spoke of historical revivals such as in the life of Adoniram Judson and in corporate settings such as during the Great Awakening and the more recent revival at Asbury University.

“Revival is not up to you,” Snyder said. “And it’s not limited to your experience. We’re part of a much bigger story.”

Snyder also emphasized that revival does not end after a moment but must include a lasting response and state of remaining in Christ. Not burning out but living as a servant for the Master.

“The response to revivals,” Snyder told the students, “both personal in our lives when the Lord awakens us to spiritual realities, and when He does that corporately—in the groups that we’re in and in the places that he’s called us to—is to praise the Lord.”

Students participate in the 2024 Fuge Camps at Southwestern.

The Fuge camps are divided into centrifuge and mission fuge tracks and include times of worship, Bible study, recreation, mission projects, and other special events.

“They’ve been great, so it’s been nice to have them around,” Walton said as the final week wound down. “I can’t believe it’s almost over.”

During the summer, the campers brought offerings to be given to International Mission Board and North American Mission Board teams located in Ethiopia and Philadelphia. The entire summer of camps raised more than $14,500.

Southwestern is already scheduled to host again next summer. Seminary students also can participate next summer as staffers during the camps by signing up at Lifeway’s website.