A Birthday Remembrance of John Stott
John Stott, or Uncle John as so many affectionately refer to him, would have been 92 this coming Saturday, April 27. This week’s eNews is dedicated to Stott and his ever-growing legacy worldwide. Join us in celebrating his life and influence and give thanks and glory to God for what He accomplished through Uncle John. Below is a list of links to help you remember Stott’s life:
John Stott’s vision for the global church
John Stott’s “Langham Logic” that was the basis for Langham Partnership
New York Times, “Who is John Stott?” by David Brooks
USA Today, “Can Evangelicals fill John Stott’s Shoes” by Michael Cromartie and Wilfred M. McClay
Time 2005 Top 100 Influential People, John Stott by Billy Graham
Stott’s Legacy Worldwide
John Stott’s strategic vision to equip the global church to help it grow to biblical maturity was ahead of its time. His personal and prayerful decision to irrevocably renounce all of the income from his books and speaking honoraria provided the seed capital to launch and grow the ministry of Langham Partnership.
Below is a short summary of the ministries of Langham Partnership today – planted by John Stott – that continue to grow and produce a harvest of biblical transformation around the world.
Preaching Spotlight
“If God reforms his people by his Word, precisely how does his Word reach and transform them? In a variety of ways, no doubt, including their daily personal meditation in the Scripture. But the principal way God has chosen is to bring his Word to his people through his appointed pastors and teachers…We can hardly exaggerate the importance of pastor-preachers for the health and maturity of the church.” John Stott
Today, more than 10,000 preachers in more than 64 countries are being equipped to preach God’s Word with boldness and relevancy, bringing the life-changing truth of God’s Word to churches and communities.
“Before Langham trained me, I had gone about preaching in the wrong way. Langham introduced me to the Bible I never knew.” James Wainaina, Kenya (pictured to left)
Literature Spotlight
“I have been in a number of pastors’ homes in Africa, Asia and Latin America, in which the total number of visible books was barely a dozen. I also remember a Christian worker from Soweto whose eyes glistened when he was given a book: it was the first that he had ever possessed, apart from his Bible. But good preaching is impossible without study, and study is impossible without books.” John Stott
In the past 10 years alone, nearly 1 million books have been provided to seminaries, Bible colleges and churches. In addition, local writers and publishers are developed and supported.
Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary student (pictured to left) studies with the help of the Africa Bible Commentary – made possible by Langham Partnership.
Scholar Spotlight
“First, churches depend very largely on their pastors. Secondly, pastors [those who are able to be trained in seminary] depend on their seminaries, where they are either made or marred, either equipped or ruined. Thirdly, seminaries depend on their faculty, who influence their students for good or ill by their teaching and example. Fourthly, these faculty members need to be well qualified, both in academic ability and in spiritual maturity. In these four simple steps we have traced the welfare of local churches back to the quality of seminary teachers. That is the logic of the Langham Scholars program.” John Stott
Today, more than 300 Langham Scholars serve worldwide. One scholar will equip and influence hundreds of Christian leaders who go on to reproduce their Christlikeness in others.
Pictured, from right to left, is Langham Partnership USA President Benjamin K. Homan and Langham Scholar Dr. Antonio Barro, founder of South American Theological Seminary in Londrina, Brazil (a school of over 600 students and thousands of alumni serving in 15 countries).
