President Campo Connects Christianity and Globalization



Regent president, Dr. Carlos Campo

By Amanda Morad

October 26, 2012

Regent University president, Dr. Carlos Campo, discussed the relationship between Christianity and globalization at the Wednesday, Oct. 24, weekly chapel service on campus.
Campo began his address with a scene from Regent's production of The Tempest, in which the native slave Caliban is called out by the foreign ruler and sorceress Prospera. The conflict and eventual reconciliation between them, "is the story of Christianity and its intersection with cultures around the world through history," President Campo explained.

In 1910, President Campo quoted, 66 percent of Christians lived in Europe. By 2010, only 26 percent of Christians lived there. Christians in the global north are shrinking in number while numbers in the global south (South America and Africa) are burgeoning.

While much of history has marked Western Christian missions and colonization efforts as "destroyers of indigenous cultures" and "alien cultural agents," the paradigm of modern missions has changed, President Campo explained.

"We've turned our focus from preaching the gospel to living the gospel," he said. "Missions now focuses more on service than on conversion of people groups, allowing unreached cultures to come to Christ through love, rather than compulsion."

Regent's role in the globalization of Christianity is ever-increasing, President Campo noted. With business centers in Africa, social justice efforts in Europe and educational initiatives in Latin America, Regent is expanding its borders to include service with traditional missions efforts.

"I'm impressed with Regent students who understand their vertical relationship with Christ compels them to reach across to all nations and cultures," President Campo said. "It is indeed our responsibility to see that God's purposes in the earth are fulfilled."

President Campo concluded the service with The Lord's Prayer, delivered by five Regent students and faculty in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Swahili and French, representing each region of the world where Regent's missional and educational efforts can be felt.

President Campo also welcomed two special guests during the chapel service, who greeted chapel goers: Ambassador Elkanah Odembo of Kenya and Reverend Louis Muvunyi, an Anglican Bishop from Rwanda. Both guests also held separate events on campus addressing the issues and opportunities of their respective nations.

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