By Nelson Nelson, Development Director

Little did Darrell Weiland realize that his 14 years of working with AWANA, an international, non-denominational para-church organization, would lead him to join the Development team at Warm Beach Camp this past June. As an AWANA Missionary (1992-2000), and then Regional Ministries Director (2000-2006) for an eight-state area, Darrell’s passion for Christian Camping grew while directing seven AWANA youth camps serving 2,000 teens annually.

“There is no more effective way of reaching children for Jesus Christ than through the ministry of Christian Camping,” exclaimed Darrell with a spark of excitement and commitment in his eyes.

As a licensed minister in the Evangelical Free Church of America, Darrell is used to public speaking, directing events, and consulting in children and youth ministry to area churches.

For many years, Darrell’s successful career was spent in the corporate grocery world in California. He gained a rich background in marketing, sales, and grocery distribution through his time with Raley’s supermarkets, Fillmore Foods, and ownership of Golden State Marketing – a gourmet and natural food brokerage company.

Then in 1992, Darrell left the corporate world when he felt the Lord tugging him into a new arena of ministry. He and his wife, Robin, packed up their two young children and migrated from California to the Stanwood area where they became the AWANA missionaries for Western Washington.

Through his years in AWANA, Darrell was quickly submerged into raising support as a missionary himself, and later, he helped train and motivate many other missionaries in donor development. When the opportunity came to help Warm Beach Camp launch its newly created Foundation, Darrell was ready and willing for this new adventure.

And, adventure is something that is in Darrell’s blood. Growing up in Huntington Beach, California, Darrell was active in a variety of sports and loves the beach. When he was a young child, he lived in Brazil for over two years while his parents joined other couples to plant a church near Xiambre.

Darrell is no stranger to Warm Beach Camp. His first introduction to Camp was when his sister, Diane (Weiland) Wennerberg, worked on staff as baker during the 1990’s. Later, when in their teens, Darrell’s two children, Tiffany and Josh, worked on staff at WBC. Tiffany and husband, Andrew, now have three children. Josh and wife, Golda, have two children. Both couples live nearby, and each is expecting another child, which will make a grand total of seven grandchildren.

“What a thrill to come aboard at WBC,” declared Darrell. “I’ve seen and experienced personally what a week of Camp can do in the life of a child … what an investment for eternity! After intensive planned giving training at the King Trust Charitable Gift Fund in Michigan this past July, I look forward to the challenge of launching the Warm Beach Camp Foundation.”