Heroes of the Faith

Heroes of the Faith:

Dr John Stott Theologian, Teacher and Author

John Stott was born in London on 1921 April 27th to Sir Arnold and Lady Stott. This year sees the hundredth anniversary of the birth of this great Christian leader, a man who helped and encouraged so many people across the world. He was naturally gifted, possessing a brilliant mind, an amazing memory and an extraordinary self-discipline. John was brought to a living faith in Christ at public school through the preaching of Eric Nash, an evangelist in the Church of England and he applied himself to his new faith with great commitment. At Cambridge, where he studied modern languages and theology, John became deeply involved with the Christian Union. He trained as an Anglican minister and following his ordination in 1945 he became a curate at All Souls Langham Place, London, the church he had attended as a child. He was then appointed rector in 1950.

Throughout his ministry John remained based at All Souls: he spent thirty years there as curate and rector and then for over thirty years was based there as a writer, preacher and leader. John’s passion for evangelism transformed All Souls and it became a focus for evangelical ministry in London and beyond. One notable emphasis of John’s preaching from the start was the way that he didn’t simply preach the historic gospel but also the need for Christians to apply it in their daily lives.

While at All Souls he served as chaplain to the Queen Elizabeth II from 1959 to 1991. He was appointed CBE in the New Year Honours 2006 and was listed in Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in , 2005.

John had many talents and his ministry and influence soon spread beyond central London. Always having a strong interest in student evangelism John preached at university missions across the world for a quarter of a century. He wrote extensively, producing Bible commentaries, practical guides to Christian living and also important texts on how Christians should relate to the world. He wrote over fifty books and many articles, all distinguished by his scholarship, precise language, a solid biblical basis and a contemporary application. His books were translated into many languages, the profits from which were used to support theological education across the world.

Three books in particular have proved to be of enormous impact: Basic Christianity, which has led many to faith, The Cross of Christ on the atonement and Issues Facing Christians Today which encourages Christians to engage effectively with the world they live in.

With time John became a national and international Christian statesman with a powerful if gracious influence. In his own Anglican church, he played a major role in turning evangelicalism from being a minority belief to a mainstream element. Internationally. He planned meetings and chaired committees including those for the important Lausanne Covenant (1974). Either by quiet counsel or open support John was involved with an extraordinary range of evangelical initiatives such as the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, the conservation organisation A Rocha, Tearfund, the Evangelical Literature Trust and many others.

From 1965 to 2000, John Stott was a frequent preacher at the annual Keswick Convention, an annual event that has attracted many of the world’s great preachers and teachers.

Rev Dr John Stott concluded his final public engagement at the Keswick Convention on the 18July 2007, asking, "What is God's purpose for his people?" He told the crowd: "I want to share with you where my mind has come to rest as I approach the end of my pilgrimage on earth. God wants His people to become like Christ - Christ-likeness is the will of God for the people of God."

John’s ministry was truly global: he visited over a hundred countries speaking, preaching and encouraging and, where possible, taking the opportunity for one of his pleasures – birdwatching. He continued with his international ministry well into his eighties until, with his health fading, he retired from ministry.

Finally, although John was a deeply spiritual man, he was also utterly relevant. He was a man who let prayer and Bible reading shape everything he said, did and was. Yet there was no sense of him being any sort of religious mystic, too holy to deal with the mess of the world. With John there was always this desire to be involved: he was a man who wanted to change the world for God.

Stott died on 27 July 2011 at the age of ninety and his funeral was held at All Souls Church London. It was reported that the church was full with people queuing for a considerable time before the service started.

John Stott was a remarkable man and we can hear John’s voice reminding us that the hope of Christ’s church lies not in its leaders, but in Christ himself.