Friday, July 29, 2011

Tributes to a Life of Service 1921 - 2011


John Stott was a very remarkable Christian leader with an international reputation but his church home was here at All Souls for nearly all his life, so his death will be felt by us at a very personal level. John came to the church as a child and I can well remember him telling our family of his first visits to the Rectory as a member of the Sunday School. He was to spend more than 50 years as Curate, Rector and then Rector Emeritus in a remarkable ministry here. In every sense he was one of the church family so his death leaves us with a real sense of loss as well as the confidence that he is with his Lord and ours.

As Rector for many years, John’s ministry extended well beyond the bounds of All Souls and his leadership was valued and experienced not just in London but nationally and internationally. His preaching drew many to Christ and kept many on track in their Christian thinking and living. His books did the same for millions more and equipped pastors and laypeople to become bible teachers themselves on every continent. Many is the time I and countless others have been more than grateful for the insights of his commentaries or the clarity of thought with which he tackled some thorny issue in a book that forced us and helped us to engage Christianly with the real world.

To read more, click here.

Related announcement: Memorial Service for John Stott at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney

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