This is my final newsletter for EAPE and I want to thank you specifically for the special part you’ve played in helping us to accomplish our mission. Because of God’s guidance and blessings and your generous and prayerful support we’re confident that the ministries EAPE has established are prepared to flourish as they serve God’s kingdom. Every prayer you’ve prayed, every gift you’ve given has helped us to strengthen and nurture 22 ministries to independence and sustainability. We couldn’t have done it without you and I’m eternally grateful for your help.

As I explained in earlier newsletters, when EAPE ceases to exist as a legal entity on June 30^th my own ministry will, by no means, end.   I will continue my preaching ministry, speaking about 200 times a year. This is a cut back from speaking 300 times a year, which has been my schedule over the past several years, but it is certainly evidence that I’m not retiring.

In the foreseeable future I will spend a lot of time recruiting sponsors for needy children in Third World countries through the auspices of two Christian agencies, Compassion International and World Vision.   I will also be taking every opportunity to speak and do fundraising on behalf of the various EAPE related mission organizations. (Perhaps your church or some up-coming conference would like to have me as a speaker.)

The primary focus of what I will do, however, will be to develop the Campolo Center for Ministry. This center is being established to do two things:

1^st – To recruit young men and women for ministry as pastors, missionaries, youth workers, evangelists and Christian education directors.

2^nd – To raise financial support for scholarships for those who are willing to commit to such ministries.

More than 70% of those who graduate from seminaries and Bible colleges never end up doing the kind of ministries that they believe God has called them to do because of the huge financial debts incurred due to tuition expenses. What a waste!

The Campolo Center for Ministry will do all that’s possible to enable dedicated young people to graduate debt free and, therefore, to live out their calling without hesitation.

But, hopefully, our partnership is not over! You can help me in this endeavor by becoming contributors to The Campolo Center for Ministry.  Eastern University is providing me with free office space and secretarial help along with setting up a special fund to receive your gifts towards this program. If you believe in this endeavor you can send tax-deductible checks made payable to the Campolo Center for Ministry at Eastern University, P.O. Box 7238, St. Davids, PA 19087. You then will be investing in the lives of dedicated servants of God’s kingdomwork.   Robert Gauthier, who has worked with me for the last 9 years, will help me in this endeavor and serve as the Director of Development for this new initiative.

Finally, I want to stay connected to you and that can be done in the following ways:

1^st – By keeping up with my speaking schedule. If you use a computer you can do that by logging on to www.TonyCampolo.org. Or you can write to me at Eastern University and ask for a monthly print out of where I’ll be speaking.

2^nd – You can listen to my weekly radio 

3^rd – You can write to me.   I always personally answer letters.

I hope you do these things because I really meant it when I said that I need your prayerful support.

There are some tears running down my cheeks as I sign off on this last EAPE newsletter, but that time has come.   “May God be with you, ‘til we meet again.”

Sincerely,

Tony Campolo

P.S. Over the years several of you have listed EAPE in your wills. Would you be willing to change the beneficiary from EAPE to The Campolo Center for Ministry? To say I would be grateful is a gigantic understatement.