John Stott - a humble man of God

John Stott, who died on 27 July at the age of 90, was a Christian leader of great ability and of world-wide influence. In 2005 Time magazine included him amongst the 100 most influential people in the world. He wrote over 50 books, and he travelled to the far corners of the earth, preaching, teaching, encouraging – and indulging in his favourite pastime of bird watching.

Some idea of the extent of his influence can be gained from reading the entries on his memorial website (www.johnstottmemorial.org), with brief comments of gratitude from all over the world, and with a growing number of Thanksgiving Services planned in many countries.

His parish ministry was in central London, he was chaplain to the Queen, but you could also say that the world was his parish! However he also had a special fondness for a small corner of Pembrokeshire. In 1954 he bought The Hookses, Dale, a neglected farm house, of which the land had been requisitioned for Dale Airfield. Over the years the house and outbuildings were improved to make a superb retreat centre. One portion of an outbuilding was converted into a self-contained flat, looking straight out to sea. Here he spent an average of 3 months every year and here he worked on most of his writing and preparation of sermons and talks.

I, along with many others, have good reason to be grateful to him for his books, his teaching and his constant encouragement of ministry in the local church. One special memory I have is of the time when he came to preach for me in St. Giles, Letterston in 1971: his sermon was a clear and winsome exposition of the Gospel, but the thing which impressed me most was to watch him, in the after-church “bun fight”, wandering around, cup of tea in hand, speaking to as many of the village people as possible – following the example of Jesus, as “one who came, not to be served, but to serve”.

It was his regular habit to pray the following prayer every day – “Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more. Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you. Holy Spirit, I pray that this day your fruit may ripen in my life – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, Three persons and one God, have mercy upon me. Amen”.

At the age of 86, 4 years before his death, he said, in his final address at the Keswick  Convention: “I want to share with you where my mind has come to rest, as I approach the end of my pilgrimage on earth, and it’s this – God wants his people to become like Christ.  Christ-likeness is the will of God for the people of God.”

His final earthly resting place is in the village cemetery in Dale, where I was given the great privilege of leading a service of burial of his ashes. Eventually a gravestone, in Welsh slate, will mark the spot, with the following simple inscription “Buried here are the ashes of John R.W.Stott, 1921 – 2011, Rector of All Soul’s Church, Langham Place, London, 1950 – 1975, Rector Emeritus, 1975 – 2011: who resolved, both as the ground of his salvation and as the subject of his ministry, to know nothing except JESUS CHRIST and him crucified
(1 Corinthians 2:2).

Rev Bill Lewis