Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo

It is with deep sadness and deeper faith that I share the news that the Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo was welcomed home into the Church Triumphant on November 19, 2024, at the age of 89. Tony was an American sociologist, a professor, a pastor, an author, an inspiring public speaker and the spiritual advisor to US Presidents. Unlike some prominent evangelical preachers, Tony had neither a widely viewed television show nor a megachurch. He was an itinerant speaker. In his prime, he had over 500 speaking engagements a year. He was a prolific author, a sociology professor at Eastern Baptist University and the University of Pennsylvania, and the founder of a Philadelphia-based ministry- EAPE (Evangelical Association for the Propagation of Education). With EAPE, Tony inspired the founding of two Lenape Valley mission partnersCornerstone Christian Academy in Southwest Philadelphia and Urban Promise in Camden. He was Philly born and raised with degrees from Eastern Baptist University, Eastern Seminary, and Temple University. In 1957, Tony was ordained as the Associate Pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in West Philadelphia, where he remained for much of his ministry, claiming that neighborhood as his home with his dear wife Peggy.

Tony was known for his charismatic storytelling and had a unique ability to blend humor with deep theological insights. He challenged individuals and communities to love their neighbors with radical compassion, and to live out their faith with sacrificial social action. Tony taught that Jesus’ mission was to bring the kingdom of God here on earth. He would remind his audiences of the prayer Jesus taught us to pray- “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Tony declared that a personal relationship with Jesus necessarily entails joining God’s movement for justice in this world. This call wasn’t simply a truth Tony wanted people to know; it was a visceral reality that he wanted you to feel. I remember the first time I heard Tony speak. He told stories of his ‘kids’ at Cornerstone that had the congregation at Oreland Presbyterian Church laughing and crying all at the same time. By the time he was done, I was reaching for my check book and signing an information card so that I could volunteer with Tony’s kids. For the last 32 years, my family and I have had the privilege of spending time in Southwest Philadelphia with Tony’s Cornerstone kids.

Tony courted controversy, challenging evangelicals to see caring for the poor as an integral part of proclaiming the gospel. Matthew 25- the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats- was his lodestar passage. He never tired of reminding the church that we are called to care for ‘the least of these.’ In 2007, he joined with Shane Claiborne to found Red Letter Christians, a movement that emphasizes the teachings of Jesus (the ‘red letter’ words in our Bibles) as our marching orders in life. Often he would remind his audiences of Jesus’ words in John 13:34-35: “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” Then Tony would offer the challenge: “Live in such a way that those who know you, but don’t know God, will come to know God because they know you!” How fascinating that Jesus’ words would stir up controversy in His church.

One of Campolo’s famous comments when he addressed an audience would begin with the statement: “While you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition.” Then after a dramatic pause, he would add, “And most of you don’t give a shit.” He would take a moment for the shock value of that comment to sink in, and then he would add: “What’s worse is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said ‘shit’ than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.” Note: I fear being seen as indelicate as I share this story- but Tony was more concerned about the suffering of little ones. I am rightly judged even as I retell Tony’s famous challenge.

In 2006, Tony wrote an impassioned plea to the emerging generations- Letters to a Young Evangelical- calling them not to turn their back on the church because they are disillusioned by the church’s relentless pursuit of politics. He wrote: “The church is still your mother. It is she who taught you about Jesus. I want you to remember that the Bible teaches that Christ loves the church and gave himself for her. (Ephesians 5:25). That’s a preeminent reason why you dare not decide that you don’t need the church. Christ’s church is called his bride (1 Cor. 11:2), and his love for her makes him faithful to her even when she is not faithful to him.” Those of us in the older generations need to take heed lest our actions, and our associations turn our children away from the bride of Christ.

Bruce Main, founder of Urban Promise, remembers hearing Tony speak at his college in CA. “He had us laughing, crying, and then enraged at the injustices in our world. Our indifference and complicity were called out. We didn’t seem to mind. We needed to hear it. We were convicted. Compelled to act. Good preaching does that.” The following summer, Bruce served as a summer intern in Camden with EAPE, and Urban Promise was born.

Brandon McNeice, the Head of School for Cornerstone, writes: “Tony was not only a visionary leader and passionate advocate for education, but also a man whose life exemplified unwavering faith and boundless compassion. His commitment to empowering young minds and fostering a Christ-centered community has left an indelible mark on Cornerstone Christian Academy and the countless lives touched by his work.”

As one who called Tony a mentor, I am grateful for the ways God shaped my life through his challenges. I pray that his Godly challenges shape Lenape Valley for years to come.

With you, celebrating a man after God’s own heart,
Anita