The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 NIV
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 NRSV

As we enter the season of Advent, which is also the darkest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere with the longest nights and shortest days, I think of these passages about light shining in darkness. At Christmas we celebrate the coming of God’s light, Jesus, to the world and remember our call to let our light shine so others may give glory to God.

This past week on November 19, the world lost a bright light for God’s good news, the Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo, when he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. Dr. Campolo inspired thousands of people to live out the love of God through acts of mercy, compassion, and justice for the “least of these.” He, along with Dr. Ron Sider, the Rev. Jim Wallis, and the speeches and writings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., deeply influenced and broadened my under- standing of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

I first heard Dr. Campolo speak as a college student in 1998. I would hear him speak 10-20 more times over the next 15 years times, in large and small groups. I also had the privilege of engaging him in personal conversations a few times. One of those conversations took place in July 2010, at the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America’s annual confer- ence. I’d like to share the story of that conversation with you in this Pastor’s Report.

As we sat and ate dinner together, upon learning I was serving as the pastor of the Lansdowne Baptist Church, he told me a story. (Tony loved to tell stories and was a great storyteller.) He began, “I grew up in the Berean Baptist Church in West Philadelphia. It was a small church. I had a dear Sunday School teacher and participated in the youth program. Eventually Berean Baptist closed. I believe some of the remaining members found their way to your church, but they’re probably all gone now.” I nodded politely and said, “Yes, I’m not aware of any former members from Berean Baptist.”

He continued, “When I was doing research at the American Baptist Historical Society for my dissertation, I came across an annual report of Berean Baptist. It said something like this. ‘This past year was an okay year. We managed to balance the budget and maintain the building. We baptized three individuals, but they were only children.’” He paused after that word and then repeated it… “they were only children.” He looked at me and said, “One of those children grew up and became the National Evangelism leader for his denomination, the second became a Seminary President, and the third became a Sociology professor and initiator of various gospel ministries in Philadelphia, the United States, and throughout the world. I guess that wasn’t such a bad year after all for Berean Baptist.”

As Dr. Campolo told me this story, he and I were not aware of the rest of this gospel story. You see, thirty-five years prior to our conversation, Tony Campolo was the keynote speaker at the Ohio Baptist Youth Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, on a Thanksgiving weekend for a conference of over 1,000 kids. He extended a call to the group to go into ministry and make a difference for Jesus. Over a dozen young people responded to the invitation. Those who responded are now planted all over America and the world sharing the Gospel and light of Jesus. One of them just retired after being planted in Massillon, OH since 1997.

Perhaps you’re beginning to see the full circle of this Gospel Journey. One small church in West Philadelphia influ- enced three children through Jesus to become huge influencers for God’s Kingdom. One of those children, the Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo, influenced another young person, the Rev. Dr. Roger Alber, to go into the gospel ministry of Jesus Christ. Over two decades later, that pastor through his ministry influenced me to go into the pastoral ministry when I served with him as a pastoral intern in 1998. Then twelve summers later, I found myself at a dinner table where Tony tells me his sto- ry to encourage me in my ministry as the pastor of a small church two miles west of the original Berean Baptist.

There are many applications to this Gospel story: Who are you influencing for Jesus that may be the next mayor, nurse, preacher, teacher, or first responder hero? Who is God calling you to reach and teach so the cycle of the Gospel continues for the next 50 plus years? Who is God calling you to reach so others may get involved in the great movement of God’s kingdom on earth so they too can share a similar story in 50 years? Finally, and perhaps most important, never doubt the importance of being faithful members of a small church in a small community in Southeastern, PA or anywhere in the world. Because if it wasn’t for those Sunday school teachers and children and youth ministry volunteers at little Berean Baptist Church reaching those children, I very well might not be writing these words to you today.

God Bless, Pastor David