Humans of NGU: Randall King
Melanie Guerrero, Contributing Writer
Photo by Melanie Guerrero
Some passions are born from dramatic turning points. For Randall King, however, it began in a simple moment: the day his father brought home a cassette tape recorder. At first, it was just a new gadget and something to play with, but he soon found himself walking around the house, putting the microphone in front of family members, recording their voices and pretending to host his own radio program.
King said, “What began as a play turned into a realization: communication was not a gift but actually, a calling.”
He said believes God gave humanity the ability to communicate, second only to the gift of his Son.
“While animals may display forms of interaction, nothing compares to the depth and critical forms of human communication,” he said.
Yet as he points out, this gift can be misused. Words can wound, divide, and distort. He thinks that miscommunication often fuels conflict and brokenness in society.
“But at its best, communication binds people together, builds trust, and reflects God’s intent for community,” King said.
For him, communication is not just a technical skill, it is a spiritual responsibility. That conviction fuels King’s approach to teaching.
“Everyone thinks they communicate well,” he said, “Yet almost everyone admits we often miscommunicate.”
King emphasized that teaching communication is more than training students to master speeches or polish writing. He highlights that it is about helping them ask why they communicate.
He prompts them to reflect: “Are they using words to build others up or tear them down? Are they practicing discernment, sensitivity, especially with those who do not share their beliefs?”
He emphasizes “co-words:” connection, community, and communication. These, he says, are woven into God’s design for humanity. King thinks that through them, people draw closer not only to others but also to their Creator. He said that hopes students graduate with more than technical skills—they should leave with the ability to tell better stories, to communicate with integrity, and to use their voices for healing rather than harm.
In an age dominated by smartphones and social media, King recognizes the tension. Both he and his students reach for their phones constantly. King expresses that technology can spread division and “bad news,” but it can also be a tool for the “good news,” such as truth, encouragement, and hope. He challenges his students to practice communication that honors God, seeing every person as someone made in His image and to pursue dialogue over dominance.
For him, communication combines creativity, faith, and responsibility. King concludes that from a cassette recorder to a classroom, the calling remains the same: to use words not just to be heard, but to bring people closer to one another and to God.
