eNews and prayer update August 2016
Chris Wright to deliver inaugural John Stott Memorial Lecture
Few Christian leaders have had the impact or gained the universal respect that was earned by John Stott (1921-2011), leading Billy Graham to once describe him as the “most respected clergyman in the world today”. Even the utterly secular Time Magazine named him as one of the “100 most influential people in the world” in 2005. We honour his contributions in preaching, teaching, writing and Godly example, through which he helped the evangelical movement move from a rather narrow-minded fundamentalism after the Second World War, to the fastest growing section of global Christianity it is today. Of course within Langham Partnership we continue to promote his legacy of pioneering and advancing the renaissance of biblical expository preaching throughout the evangelical world, and ensuring access to high quality, relevant biblical resources – including his own significant body of work.
Today, five years after his death, his vision continues to impact the world. “His books have challenged and nourished millions of Christians into a balanced and thinking biblical faith,” says Rev. Dr Christopher J.H. Wright. “His legacy through the global impact of the two organisations that he founded, Langham Partnership International and the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity, is incalculable.”
Chris’s own contributions have been significant and widely recognized, and as International Ministries Director for Langham Partnership, he has a front row seat to the extraordinary changes taking place in global Christianity.
After teaching the Old Testament in India in the eighties and then at All Nations Christian College in England throughout the nineties, Chris took over the Langham leadership at “Uncle John’s” invitation in 2001. His books include commentaries on Deuteronomy and Ezekiel, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God; The Mission of God; The God I Don’t Understand; and Sweeter than Honey. Chris was the Chair of the Lausanne Theology Working Group from 2005 – 2011, and was the chief architect of The Cape Town Commitment – the Statement of the Third Lausanne Congress in October 2010. Chris and his wife Liz, who come originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, have four adult children and a growing number of grandchildren, and continue to worship and serve as members of All Souls Church, Langham Place.
Within Langham Partnership, we remain committed to Stott’s emphasis on listening to the voice of the Majority World Church, and seek to find ways of ensuring those of us in the West are able to hear and be taught and blessed by the wisdom, experience and insight of our brothers and sisters living in a very different context. Our vision is to regularly bring outstanding scholars and speakers from the Majority World, to share with and teach God’s people in Australia, through an annual or biennial lecture series: the John Stott Memorial Lectures. The series will be launched in Australia in September 2016, with Chris Wright delivering the inaugural address: John Stott’s Legacy and the Mission of the Global Church. Do not miss this historic opportunity to be at the very beginning of what we pray will become a significant event on the Australian Christian calendar.
The lecture will be held at:
Melbourne
Time: 5:30 pm Monday 19 September 2016
Where: Ridley College, 170 The Avenue, Parkville
RSVP
Sydney
Time: 7:00 for 7:30 pm Thursday 22 September 2016
Where: Sydney Missionary and Bible College,
Roberts-Dale campus, 140 Croydon Ave, Croydon Park
More info about Sydney lecture
Brisbane
Time: 7:00 pm Sat 24 September 2016
Where: Level 1, 143 Ann St, Brisbane
Gala dinner and lecture: Bookings essential
Book online or
by phone: 02 4751 9036
Other events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane:
Hear Chris Wright in Australia
For your prayers
PREACHING
- Stephen Williams, Preaching Coordinator in the South-West Pacific, has recently met with pastors, church leaders and the Preaching Country Coordinator in the Solomon Islands. Please pray that the work there will continue to progress and that successful training can be planned and held for many preachers whose job it is to bring God’s Word to the church in that nation.
LITERATURE
- August sees preparations commence for the production of the Langham Literature catalogue. Please pray for the team involved in deciding which books to include and for the accurate and timely receipt of information from publishers.
SCHOLARS
- This year more than ten Langham Scholars will complete their doctoral studies and return to strategic positions of teaching and Christian leadership. Please pray for them as they return to important ministries involving the teaching and training of future Christian pastors, teachers and leaders. Pray too for Scholar Anwar Berhe as he continues to study at Melbourne School of Theology and also battles a chronic illness.
UPCOMING LANGHAM PREACHING EVENTS
- August 14-20 DR Congo (3 events), Indonesia, Kenya
- August 21-27 Panama, Sierra Leone
- Aug 28 – Sept 3 Uganda, Romania, Bolivia, Zimbabwe
- September 4 -10 Zambia, Sierra Leone, Benin, Nigeria (2 events), Indonesia, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Bolivia, Zambia
- September 11-17 South Asia, Colombia, Lesotho
- Please pray for these upcoming events
Langham Australia CEO Gillean Smiley writes…
“I thought I had run out of things to teach my Church, as I had already preached on everything I could think of”, said a Cambodian pastor attending one of the Langham Preaching events this year. “Then I came to the Preaching Seminar and learned how to preach from the biblical text. I realised I had the whole Bible to preach, and now I know that in the rest of my life I will never lack for inspiration, because it doesn’t come from me but from God’s Word”.
Dr Paul Barker, the Regional Coordinator for Langham Preaching and Scholar Care in Asia shared this story with Langham supporters in WA this month, reminding us of the impact of Langham training for the participants and for their congregations. As we hear of the extraordinary ways God is moving to call people to Himself across the world, we are encouraged to redouble our efforts to ensure our new brothers and sisters in the faith have access to faithful, clear and relevant preaching from the Word, and their preachers and teachers are trained and equipped to help them grow in their understanding and maturity in Christ. Come and celebrate with us in September as we reflect with Chris Wright on the ongoing legacy of John Stott, and consider our continuing role in the mission of the global Church.
Gillean
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