Tony Campolo stories abound. I never met him, but I saw him speak many times. I would go out of my way to hear him.
The first time I saw him was at the Ocean City (NJ) Tabernacle. Campolo spoke there every summer. During college I was dating a girl whose family had a house in Ocean City and we decided to go to hear him. Her parents were very conservative evangelicals and, for whatever reason, they decided to come along. Their pastor, who was ordained in the General Association of Regular Baptists, joined us. Very early in Campolo’s sermon he started preaching about how evangelicals did not care about the poor. My girlfriend’s parents walked out. So did their pastor. I later learned that they were troubled by Campolo’s social justice message. I am sure that wasn’t the first time someone walked out of a Tony Campolo sermon!
One of my favorite Campolo talks, I listened to it again this morning, was titled “Tradition: The Key to a Close Knit Family.” Listen to it here.
I will have more to say about Campolo in the next year or so. I am completing a book on evangelicals and politics in the 21st century and I cover Campolo and his work with Bill Clinton.
What are people saying about Campolo’s death:
Here is Christianity Today’s obituary.
Shane Claiborne:
Here’s more: