up close & personal with pete sumrall 

 

Pete, how did your Dad's vision of Feed The Hungry personally affect you?

PS: You know, it was a very life-changing experience when Dad had the revelation in Jerusalem. I remember clearly, vividly, when he gave me his hand-written notes the next morning. It put compassion in our hearts to literally reach out and touch people in a way that we hadn't been able to do before. Dad worked harder than he had during other times of his life because it was such a passion for him to feed God's hungry people. He devoted his entire life to Feed The Hungry once God laid that revelation on his heart.

Standing at the helm of FTH as you are today, looking into the future, what do you see?

PS: I see unlimited opportunities. I think the sky's the limit. I have big dreams, big visions, and God's laid a big burden on our heart to literally feed people all over the world. I see FTH growing exponentially over the next few years as we truly kick things into gear.

Pete, you're known for your aggressive, hands-on leadership style, for really pushing the boundaries and always expecting and experiencing growth and increase. What motivates you?

PS: You know, I think that God instilled an aggressive gene in my body. I literally do think and pray about the ministry just about 24 hours a day. If you don't grow, if you don't improve, if you don't get better, you get worse. My dad always told us, "You may not be the smartest person on earth, but at least hire smart people," and we've been very blessed to have some very capable, competent people. We're looking forward to moving FTH further than it's ever gone before.

How is your experience with LeSEA Broadcasting going to contribute to the future of FTH?

PS: I think we're going to be able to partner LeSEA Broadcasting together with FTH in ways we haven't been able to do before. We've got some great ideas and plans both for here in the US as well as overseas. When we go into an area to do a feeding program and evangelism, I really believe that we're going to be able to use our media resources to let people know what's going on and to further the evangelism aspect.

 

At a recent staff meeting you drove home the point that what really matters is people. It's not about money or title or position, but people are really the bottom line.

PS: Right. If we don't reach out and serve people, whether it's in Broadcasting or FTH, then we ought to be out of business. We are here to serve.

Are there any areas of the world or specific humanitarian crises that clutch at your heart more than the rest?

PS: Well, certainly the tsunami disaster that happened in the Indian Ocean area was very moving. Africa is also very strong in my heart, and I think we need to reach out and touch children everywhere who are orphaned. We are investigating a wonderful opportunity in China that we hope to pursue later this year. God called my grandmother to China, and she was not able to go. But she had a son who was a missionary to China. Well, now she has a grandson, and that's me, and we're going to reach out and we're going to touch people in China. But literally there's a need and the opportunity is there for us to be able to reach out and touch people all over the world.

Pete, a short time ago you were in the Dominican Republic seeing how FTH projects work firsthand. How did that trip affect you and maybe enlighten your perspective as to what FTH is all about?

PS: It was just amazing to see the thousands of people who attended the evangelistic crusade that Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty hosted, and it was quite a heart-warming experience to know that we were going to be able to touch so many homes and hearts with the gospel. One story that really encouraged me was from Billy Joe's people who said that until they introduced the food component into the crusade, the pastors really weren't interested in working together on this citywide event. But when they learned of the food, and the way that the food would be distributed so that the people would be connected to a local church, they became excited. That made the difference. Dad continually said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against the local church." We strongly believe that at Broadcasting and we also strongly believe that at Feed The Hungry. We have to reach out and touch people with the love of God and bring them to Christ, but it is just as important to connect them to the local church.

Having grown up in the Philippines and being involved in world travel through Asia, the Middle East and India, what is your take on poverty and hunger?

PS: There are always going to be people in our world who are hungry, whether in our country or in a foreign country. Frankly, we have an opportunity through the ministry of FTH to see food open hearts for the gospel, and that's really what the mission of LeSEA is all about. Whether we use food or we use media, the goal is to reach people with the gospel.

Is there anything specific at this time that God is speaking to you, maybe a thought or idea that is foremost in your mind?

PS: The key thing that I keep going over is my Dad's original vision for FTH: This is pastor-to-pastor, church-to-church, person-to-person ministry. Feed The Hungry is about reaching people; there are people who are hungry spiritually, physically, and emotionally and it is our goal in life to reach out and touch those people with the gospel by connecting with local churches around the world.

Looking toward the future, are there any special projects that we'll be pursuing in the next months?

PS: We're going to partner with orphanages through our new Every Child Every Day initiative. There are several in particular that we already have in our hearts. I also love the concept of partnering with other ministries to hold major crusades. That's something we're going to continue. We have some great opportunities with key ministries that we are going to pursue.

What was it like growing up in the Sumrall household?

PS: It was a lot of fun. We enjoyed ourselves. People saw my Dad as being a little gruff and tough, and there was discipline involved. We always cringed when Mom said, "Wait until your father gets home." But at the same time, it was an opportunity of a lifetime that very few people will ever get. I truly appreciate it and am very humbled by it. Indeed, it was a great life.

Is there one overarching statement, thought, or principle that Dr. Sumrall put into your life long ago that is still with you today?

PS: Never go backwards. Never back up, always move ahead. He used to always say, "Faith has no reverse."

Anything you'd like to say to our partners and friends that are reading today who have worked hand-in-hand with FTH for so many years now?

PS: We do want to thank our partners. If it wasn't for them, frankly, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. Feed The Hungry is really not an old organization, starting back in 1987. At the same time, we've got a great history with my dad's ministry that goes all the way back to 1930 when he was healed of tuberculosis. We have some great opportunities to evangelize the world. I think the partnership that exists today between LeSEA Broadcasting and Feed The Hungry has unlimited potential. Together we can literally reach out around the world, but we can only do it with our partners' help. I'm humbled every day by the letters that I receive and the mail that comes in. I really want to thank our partners so much!