A Visit with John Stott

23 June 2009 |

Ken Perez -- President of John Stott Ministries

by Ken Perez
President, John Stott Ministries

“How is John Stott?” is a frequent question asked of those associated with John Stott Ministries (JSM) and Langham Partnership International (LPI). I am pleased to be able to answer that question with a bit of fresh information, as on June 19, my wife, three teenage children and I had the privilege of spending some time with Uncle John at his home 30 miles south of London.

Our plan was to have our children meet John and perhaps receive some words of godly encouragement and instruction from him, and then John and I would have some time alone to catch up on various JSM matters. We were not disappointed, as John succinctly summarized the Christian faith with two biblical words—Lord Jesus—and quoted from one of his favorite chapters of the Bible, Philippians 2. John’s words reminded me of Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper’s famous statement, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!'”

Now that he has been at a community for retired Anglican clergy for two years, John is quite settled, and his simple living quarters are homey, with his books neatly arranged on shelves, pleasant garden views from his desk, a cozy sitting area for entertaining guests, and various mementos on the walls. He continues to receive good care, and he seems content.

In terms of his health, John is pretty frail. While at times he struggles with finding the right word, his long-term memory of Scripture remains strong and his general outlook is inspiringly positive.

John was pleased to share with me that the writing of his final book has been completed, and it should be available from Inter-Varsity Press (UK) in time for Christmas.

We closed our time together in prayer, with gratefulness for all the people associated with LPI—donors, Majority World leaders, beneficiaries, staff, and national member boards—and asking for God’s continued provision for the ministries of LPI, to the glory of the Lord Jesus.