I have completed this two-volume biography and I now see that John Stott is one of the giants on whose shoulders I have been standing – without having fully realised it. John Stott was having to think through so much himself with very little help and I must be careful not to over-decry professional Christian writers and teachers from whom I have benefited so much.
The biography mentions John Stott’s approach to disputes and gives many outworkings of these principles. In general, where he disagreed with someone, John Stott would meet the person face-to-face to try and discern common ground (where possible). p440 sets out some principles:
I do not initiate a conversation or correspondence on a controversial matter, but only respond to… specific questions; I do not speak about such matters publicly… but only in private and in confidence; I do not say behind people’s back anything I have not said to his or her face; I do not speak negatively about anybody without first affirming what I can positively.
Would that more of us – including me – took this attitude. Also, John Stott’s principle of meeting opponents face-to-face must have avoided much mud-slinging that is easy today from behind a keyboard and a computer screen. The only occasion when this approach seemed to yield little in terms of developing at least a friendship with opponent was regarding homosexuality and a debate with Jack Spong – an American bishop.
Another recurring theme in later years was that of training Christian leaders overseas, where resources were far fewer than in the UK or the US. This is a good example of John Stott’s strategic long-term thinking.
p49 talks about setting up Frontier Youth Trust to work with young people. The aims were very laudable – but I wonder if this was aping the world – ie, the way to address disintegrating families is to employ more youth workers. For an alternative, click here.
John Stott’s “Issues facing Christians Today” was indeed ground-breaking. The trouble is, the world often dislikes our solutions.
John Stott would have ‘got’ this site.
[He] was anxious that he should not be seen as an inevitable role model… in his call to the ordained ministry. He did not want committed Christian young people always to end up getting ordained and taken out of the larger society – p284
John Stott’s aim in setting up the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity was, partly…
…to help students become more complete Christians in their home and personal life
But shouldn’t churches have been doing that already?
Duting a visit to Romania in the 80s John Stott noted that there were 1,000 Baptish churches but only 160 pastors. What had the previous leaders been doing so that only one church in six had any pastoring going on? I do think this is imprecise – and unhelpful – terminology.
The biographer approvingly quotes Charles Simeon – a 19th century preacher – who, writing to someone on his ordination talked about his accession to…
“…the most glorious office in the world – to that of an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ”.
So we non-professionals aren’t ambassadors of Jesus?
