July 30, 2005

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom – The Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo, well-known American Baptist sociologist, professor, author and preacher, addressed "Jesus' Mission Statement" during a focus group here July 28 at the Baptist World Centenary Congress.

"The Kingdom of God is at hand" is the short summation of Jesus' ministry, Campolo maintained. He noted that the marks of that Kingdom (as outlined in Scripture) include: children do not die in infancy; the elderly will live in health and well being; decent housing and jobs would be a reality; children would not be born for (later) calamity; the environment would be protected.

"What will be God's question to us on the Day of Judgement?" he asked. It will not be theology; it will be ‘What did you do for the poor.'" He noted that there are 2,000 Bible verses calling for care of the poor.

The Kingdom is not only for the future, but here and now ... "on earth as it is in heaven," he pointed out. And the reality of the Kingdom is hopeful: "The Kingdom of God has never been stronger than it is right now," he said, pointing out that "in Africa, 50,000 people are baptized every week" and that "the Kingdom is on the move especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America."

Churches today must challenge and mobilize their young people with this hopeful and comprehensive Kingdom concept, including evangelizing, Campolo said. Young people and many outside the church need this message of hope.

The "not young" aren't excused from this Kingdom enterprise, either: "I have a question for the retired-Why are you not in full-time ministry for Jesus Christ?" Young or old, "unless led by the Holy Spirit, we are not change agents," he said.

He used the analogy of the famous 18-minute gap in the tapes of U.S. President Richard Nixon discussing the Watergate scandal cover-up: "Jesus has erased your tape; your sins are blotted out, remembered no more."

Addressing materialism, Campolo, noted that "Jesus took the form of a servant, giving up status to express love." Christians who get into the consumer lifestyle defined by predominant culture are sinning, he said.

"Being a Christian is not having the right theology," Campolo said. "It's having your heart broken by the things that break Jesus' heart."

American Baptist News Service
Martha Skelton, a BWA Communications Committee member, contributed to this article.