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So was his mentor, Jesus Christ.
That is, they both challenge the status quo.
When Campolo comes to Beaufort County this week, the nationally-known pastor, author, lecturer and professor of sociology will likely urge more people to worry less about themselves and do more to help the downtrodden.
Christians can do much more, and if they worked together it would help.
That might be a more subtle message of the two-night appearance by Campolo.
His visit is sponsored by the Island Chaplain and Friends, an ecumenical ministry on Hilton Head Island. It is one of the many examples in Beaufort County of strength in numbers, and cooperation beyond denominational lines. But veteran pastors say there needs to be more cooperation.
"It is very important that we reach across the lines and barriers of cultures and religions because God's commandment is to love one another," said the Rev. Ben Williams, pastor of Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and the dean of Hilton Head clergy.
Walt Schymik, a layman involved in these "Spiritual Emphasis Week" guest speakers since the first one in 1993, said, "It seems that since we started, we're less united, more divided."
Campolo is not shy about telling what the Bible commands. He sees his faith as activism, so it's no accident that he is here on Martin Luther King Day. He will speak at 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday at First Presbyterian Church on Hilton Head Island.
His topic will be "Let Me Tell You A Story." In more than 400 appearances a year worldwide, he is known as a master story-teller.
Campolo founded the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education with the goal of "inspiring and enabling followers of Jesus to live out God's love for the poor and oppressed."
This organization enables action that might shock placid church-goers. With a number of partners, it has developed and nurtured elementary and secondary schools, universities, literacy centers, tutoring programs,AIDS hospices, urban youth ministries and outreach programs.
Campolo's talks are to emphasize the practical application of faith to spread justice -- to focus on compassion and action.
Campolo led a week of meetings here in 1996, even speaking to a Rotary Club. Other speakers in the Spiritual Emphasis series have included the late Henri Nouwen, Ravi Zacharias and John Guest. Over the years, the events have been sponsored by a dozen or more churches of many different denominations.
Schymik said, "Christians could do better for Christ and what Christ calls them to do, and for the community, if they worked together."
He hears the stories of what ecumenical groups are doing in Austin, Memphis or Charlotte to help the poor, the widows, the imprisoned, the hungry, the abused.
"Churches have gotten together to help people," he said. "They've done things that can't possibly be done by a single church."
One thing for certain. Beaufort County has a lot of churches. But are they raising enough hell?
