JOHN STOTT died in his retirement home at St. Barnabas College at 3.15pm on Wednesday 27th July. He was surrounded by a few good friends. They were reading the Scriptures and listening to Handel’s Messiah when he peacefully went to be with his Lord and Saviour.  Some of us had come to know and love him through his links with St John’s in his final years and we will miss him.

It was a great privilege to care, in a small pastoral way, for someone who has contributed so much to the work of God’s kingdom in Britain, worldwide and to many of us personally.

He was, of course, Rector of All Souls, Langham Place and his ministry radiated out from All Souls. However, John Stott’s ministry extended well beyond the bounds of All Souls and his leadership was valued and experienced, not just in London, but nationally and internationally. His preaching drew many to Christ and kept many on track in their Christian thinking and living. His books did the same for millions more and equipped pastors and laypeople on every continent to become bible teachers themselves. Countless people have been more than grateful for the insights of his commentaries or the clarity of thought with which he tackled some thorny issue in a book that forced us and helped us to engage Christianity with the real world.

He showed himself willing to challenge some of the ways in which faith had become conventional or inward-looking. Many have said that he helped to change the face of evangelicalism internationally, arguing for the necessity of ‘holistic’ mission that applied the Gospel of Jesus to every area of life, including social and political questions.

He will be remembered most warmly as an expositor of scripture and a teacher of practical Christian living.

Many have benefited from his 50 books, commentaries, Bible studies and daily readings. He wrote his last book, The Radical Disciple, whilst at The College of St Barnabas and The Living Church was published just as he joined us at St John’s.

John’s farewell address at Keswick 2008 (http://wn.com/John_Stott or in The Living Church) sums up all that he had been learning and striving to teach all his ministry and this particular address was a real inspiration to some of us at that time in the life of the church here.

He began so many of his sermons with the words: “We pray that … Your written word of Scripture may now and always be our rule, Your Holy Spirit our Teacher and Your greater glory our supreme concern, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Stephen often uses this same prayer at St John’s and it is a very fitting prayer to use, following in the footsteps of a much loved and respected follower of Christ.

It was an amazing privilege that he came to join us here at St John’s - the first service he attended was on July 8th 2007 and through the kindness of those who went to pick him up, he attended regularly until the end of January 2009. At that point his health made it impossible for him to come, although he still regarded himself as a member of St John’s – a ‘remote’ one, he once told Stephen. For him it was a matter of personal conviction to belong to a local church. Stephen had the privilege of visiting him regularly, and recently - with members of our church and with the permission of the Warden of St Barnabas - of sharing in Holy Communion with him in his room.

So our claim is that St John’s Felbridge was the only church apart from All Souls, Langham Place to which John Stott ever belonged!

We thank God for him and all He achieved through him; we rejoice that he is now in glory and that we will meet again one day.

Mandy Bowen