Lakeland University’s new Ulrich Research Center hosted Dr. Anthony Campolo this past Monday as he gave a speech titled “The State of the Church.”

The night began with President David Black introducing his longtime friend to the crowd. President Black complimented Campolo’s dedication to his work, told a brief story to summarize their friendship and then welcomed him to the stage.

He spoke on a variety of topics for the evening. Beginning with the political state of the church and how we are caught up in the distraction of labeling ourselves as Anglican, Baptist and more.  He mentioned that we need to focus on our relationships with God by learning to pray and merely feeling Gods presence through that prayer.

Despite preaching many lessons, Campolo says his main message never saw the light of day. Regardless, one underlying message was repeated: we are called to love the outcasts of the church. Referring to the works of St. Francis of Assisi (Campolo’s hero) as an excellent example for Christians, Campolo invited us to live by Matt 25:35-36: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”

By the end of the night Dr. Campolo asked that we all take these words to heart and encouraged us to donate to the poor through a charity program known as World Vision.