John Stott 100
The Australian webinar
April 27 2021 marks 100 years since the birth of John Stott (1921-2011) — respected preacher, best-selling author, servant of the global church, and the founder of Langham Partnership.
To mark this centenary, Langham Partnership is holding a special online event where together we’ll do what John Stott did: draw near to pastors and leaders on the frontlines of the global church.
The hour-long webinar, hosted by Rev Kanishka Raffel (Anglican Dean of Sydney) and Gillean Smiley, will feature conversations with three global Christian leaders whose lives and ministries were shaped by John Stott, and who are continuing his legacy today by impacting their nations for Christ. They are:
- Dr Ashish Chrispal (India) on how Stott inspired him to pursue his PhD, allowing him to effectively increase the impact of his personal ministry throughout his life.
- Taras Dyatlik (Ukraine) shares about the impact of John Stott’s vision for indigenous literature, and how that inspired the Slavic Bible Commentary – a ground-breaking project that has unified the church, catapulted partnerships, and inspired additional commentaries throughout the Slavic world.
- Dr Dwi Handayani (Indonesia) discusses the continuing work of John Stott’s ministry through the Langham Partnership and its three programs (Scholars, Literature, and Preaching).
Rev Dr Chris Wright, Langham’s Global Ambassador and Ministry Director, will also bring his own personal reflection on Stott’s legacy.
Please note that there is no need to register for this webinar, just connect via our website on the day.
John Stott websites
There are two Langham-hosted websites through which events, books, and articles will be shared throughout this centenary year.
johnstott.org is a site hosted by LPUSA. This site exists to help broaden the Langham audience by providing resources highlighting Uncle John’s life, his legacy, and impact. Here you can read about his life and impact, listen to some of his sermons and download the free e-book Jesus is Lord – a call to radical discipleship. The site directs visitors toward Langham Partnership and also links to other ministries in which John Stott was involved. Langham will be maintaining this website indefinitely.
johnstott100.org is a website hosted by Langham on behalf of a few of Stott’s main publishers. It was formed in 2018 at the request of the Stott Literary Executors, with the Langham Literature team acting as an intermediary between the publishers. To be clear, the publishing partners involved are their own entities and have their own channels of communication through which they will market the centenary. The focus of the site is on Stott’s books and it also hosts a blog commemorating his impact. You will find Uncle John’s books in 44 languages taking the total to over 500 books! This website will only be active until mid-2022.
Other events
Ridley College in Melbourne is hosting a John Stott Conference on May 24 2021 from 11am- 4pm. Keynote speakers at the conference include Dr Chris Wright speaking on the life and legacy of John Stott, Dr Stuart Piggin on the impact of John Stott on Australian evangelicalism, and Dr Brian Rosner on John Stott and the Cross of Christ. In addition, there will be four personal snapshots from different speakers on Stott’s life and ministry in the areas of leadership training, expository preaching, prayer, and evangelism. The close of the conference will see the launch of a special John Stott edition of the EFAC magazine Essentials. Register for the conference (either in person or online) by going to ridley.edu.au/events/event/john-stott-conference-2021 and following the links.
Around the world, there are other events planned, which you can find listed at johnstott.org/events.
One event that long-time supporters of John Stott and his ministries will want to attend is the live-streamed service from All Souls Church in London on 27 April. This will be held at 8pm AEST, 6pm AWST (11am in London) — click for times in other locations. Chris Wright will be joined by Ajith Fernando (Sri Lanka) and Ruth Padilla Deborst (Latin America), who will bring reflections from scripture. Hear of John Stott’s commitment as a pastor, leader and friend, his love of creation, his ministry to students and pastors, his books. You will need to register for this event.
Join us in prayer
LITERATURE
Please pray for all our authors and publishers in Myanmar at this time of uncertainty. Give thanks that they are all safe and well and able to continue operations. Freedom of religion remains, but frustrating restrictions will abound if the past decades are a guide to the future.
PREACHING
With the need to provide remote learning, 13 Langham Preaching representatives from around the world are meeting regularly to research and develop remote learning practice and resources. This important work will have an impact on Langham Preaching both in the short and longer term. Pray for wisdom and clarity for them as they listen to one another and work together. Many Preaching events are still being held online (which allows whole regions to meet together!), and some are being held in person.
- April 11-17 South Asia, West Africa, 25 countries across Europe & the Caribbean
- April 18-24 Guatemala, Latin America
- April 25-May 1 Spain (Canary Islands!), Austria, Sierra Leone, Guatemala(2), Honduras(2)
- May 2-8 Uganda, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Switzerland, Honduras
- May 9-15 Central African countries, Albania, Honduras, Women’s Advisory Group meeting
[NB: where countries are considered sensitive, the region is given.]
SCHOLARS
Give thanks for the perseverance of the Scholars who have continued to resolutely study and write throughout the past year or so, despite restrictions in their home or study countries, caring for children at home, health concerns, unable to access library resources, and many other pressures. Pray for continued focus and concentration for them, particularly for those coming toward the end of their studies with deadlines looming.
COVID-19 is still having a devastating impact in many of the nations in which we work.
Please pray for pastors and church leaders as they minister to the grieving.