Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Man Takes to a Shipping Container to Help Build a Warehouse for the Gospel

By DearChurch.org | Advocacy Feature

Each morning, as the sun rises over Charlotte, Scot Campbell sets up camp next to a shipping container and begins another 10-hour shift in the open air. He’ll do this for 100 straight days—rain or shine—to raise awareness and funds for something that’s been on his heart for years: a new warehouse in Shelby, North Carolina, where donated Christian books, Bibles, and medical supplies can be stored and shipped around the world.

“It might look a little crazy,” Campbell says, “but I know what one book can do.”

A life changed by a single book

Nearly a decade ago, Campbell was working at Novant Cancer Center. Though he helped transport patients every day, he was battling his own private darkness—addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Then one day, a cancer patient he often transported handed him a copy of The Purpose Driven Life.

“That book completely changed my direction,” Campbell recalls. “It helped me find purpose and freedom I didn’t think was possible.”

Wanting to share that same hope, he began purchasing used copies of The Purpose Driven Life at thrift stores and handing them out in hospitals, homeless shelters, and YMCAs around Charlotte. Soon, he realized how much Christian literature was simply being discarded. “I started asking churches what they did with old books,” he says. “Most didn’t recycle them—they threw them away.”

Discovering a small church with a big mission

In his search for a better way to get these resources into the right hands, Campbell discovered a small church in Shelby, North Carolina. The congregation had been receiving thousands of donated Bibles and Christian books—along with medical supplies—loading them onto pallets and shipping them to a ministry called Love Packages in Decatur, Alabama. For 17 years, a faithful little church there has moved more than 100,000 boxes of Christian literature and nearly 2,000 pieces of medical equipment through their basement.

What amazed him most wasn’t just the scale of the donations, but the effort required to keep it going. Elderly volunteers were using their church as a makeshift warehouse, constantly moving boxes to make space for services and events. “They’ve been waiting eight years for a real warehouse,” Campbell says. “Eight years.”

That realization stuck with him.

The moment of conviction

Around the same time, Campbell was helping a man from his church who had been living without stable housing. The man wanted to work at Amazon but didn’t have transportation. Campbell offered to help—and ended up applying for a weekend job himself so he could drive his friend to work.

On his first day at the Amazon fulfillment center, he was overwhelmed by the sight of hundreds of trucks loading packages for destinations all over the world. “I felt convicted,” he says. “We ship everything imaginable every day—yet there are billions of people waiting for their first package. What if that first package told them about the greatest Hope of all?”

Working in that warehouse brought the Shelby ministry back to mind. He reached out to ask if they still needed a building. They did—and they even had an estimate from a contractor dated 2017. After nearly a decade, they were still waiting for a way forward.

A call confirmed

Campbell says he began praying for confirmation that he was meant to help. The first came in the form of a sermon series at his Charlotte church, drawn from the book of James. “Every week felt like it was written just for me,” he says. One message—How to Deal with Hard Times—reminded him that difficulty often accompanies purpose. Another—How to Be Rich—spoke about using wealth for eternal impact, not accumulation. A third—It’s a Big Table—called believers to live beyond themselves and join God’s family business of spreading the Gospel.

Around the same time, Campbell had two encounters that strengthened his resolve. At the local recycling center, he stumbled upon thousands of books—many Christian titles—about to be destroyed. Later that day, a co-worker asked him if he had any Christian literature; she and her husband were struggling and needed encouragement. “I knew right then this was something God wanted me to do,” he says.

From vision to mission

Since then, Campbell has poured years of work into creating DearChurch.org, a website that is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for this mission. The goal: to raise $1.25 million to build the warehouse and ensure that discarded Christian materials can reach the nations instead of landfills.

The land in Shelby is already secured and ready for construction. Once completed, the facility will serve as a central hub to collect, sort, and ship Christian books and medical supplies to global partners, multiplying the reach of ministries like Love Packages.

“We’ve built warehouses all over the world for online shopping,” Campbell says. “Why not build one for the Gospel?”

Raising awareness one day at a time

To draw attention to the need, Campbell launched his 100-day campaign beside the shipping container. He spends ten hours each day there meeting visitors, sharing the vision, and inviting others to take part.

He laughs when people ask if he’s comfortable. “It’s not about comfort,” he says. “It’s about calling.”

Visitors can meet Campbell at 6101 Sardis Rd across from Sardis Presbyterian Church between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day, donate Christian literature and Bibles, or purchase a Container Camper T-shirt (proceeds go directly to the warehouse fund, little church library and mobile church library). Supporters can follow along facebook.com/dearchurchchallenge

How Charlotte can help

Campbell believes Charlotte is uniquely positioned to make the Shelby warehouse a reality. “So much of my story—my struggles, my freedom, my calling—happened right here in this city,” he says. “This is homegrown ministry, and I believe it can start right here and reach the world.”

He notes that in the past decade, local churches have raised hundreds of millions for new sanctuaries and renovations. “Surely we can come together to raise $1.25 million for a warehouse that doesn’t serve one church, but the global Church,” he says.

An invitation of hope

Campbell hopes that his 100-day stand by the container sparks a larger movement—a renewed commitment to use every resource for God’s purposes.

“Let’s put God’s Word into the world instead of a dumpster,” he says. “Even one book can change a life. I know—it changed mine.”

Ways to Get Involved

• Donate: Visit DearChurch.org to give. Gifts of $100+ will be honored on the warehouse wall.
• Bring Books: Donate Bibles and Christian literature directly—visit Scot at 6101 Sardis Rd across from Sardis Presbyterian Church between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (check facebook.com/dearchurchchallenge
• Share: Spread the word to your church, friends, and community.
• Pray: Ask God to multiply the impact of every book and every gift.

To learn more about the mission and follow Scot’s journey, visit DearChurch.org.