A Tribute to John Stott

By Elaine Storkey

first published on the website of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity

 Like many Christians of my generation, I first came across John Stott as a student, when he led a university mission. In my case it was at Aberystwyth in the 1960s. It was a great week, and an enormous thrill to see many prayed-for friends turn to Christ. Twenty years later I was to get to know John much better - through Lausanne theological working parties and in the setting up of Men, Women and God, a group committed to addressing gender issues. Not long after, I became Executive Director of the London Insititute for Contemporary Christianity.

Working with John was a great joy. His impact on my own life was considerable, from his grasp of the Bible and theology, his love of the arts, his skills at communication, his hospitality and his commitment to good relationships. He always asked the big questions - penetrating to the very heart of issues - and was keen to expand his own learning. I loved the way that he was willing to change his mind when another argument prevailed. He would often admit that many turning points in his thinking had come when people raised questions which challenged him to re-examine his own assumptions. I now realize, even more, how unusual that is in a leader of his standing and experience. It was this openness which made John such a comfortable colleague. He was someone who had nothing to prove and no ego to defend.

John's clarity of thinking and communication enabled him engage with complex theological concepts and present them in a way that most people could understand. He relished addressing large audiences and answering their questions with a winsome grace and generosity of spirit which never compromised on firmness or truth. He refused to score easy points; never patronized the questioner, never ducked the hard questions, or claimed wisdom that he did not have. He did not need to. His aim was only to honour Christ, and draw people into a deeper and more thoughtful relationship with God. He was a great mentor - always ready with praise when something had gone well -but with rebuke when necessary. On one occasion I had written a dismissive review of a book which he felt could have been better handled. He came to see me, arguing that I would not persuade people that way. We prayed, and I reflected. He was right!

Although he was single-minded in his own use of time, he did not expect this of those with family commitments. His pastoral care was exceeded only by his generosity. Towards one Christmas, I remember him phoning the Institute to leave a message and found I was working very late. "Why aren't you at home with the family?" he asked. I replied, "because, sadly, someone still has to do the accounts." With no proper accountant at that time, I had just received an anxious phone from someone who had looked through the draft figures. There was heaps of work to do before the auditors came, and no-one else available to do them. A few days later when the crisis was over, a large cheque arrived from John with a message, "Do take the whole family to the theatre. I suggest Les Miserables." It was very typical of his care and concern, and his desire to encourage and bless our family.

Over a decade, I must have travelled thousands of miles on teaching weekends and conferences with John, regularly visiting Scotland and Wales, as well as Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. We engaged with a wide range of subjects, for nothing lies outside the scope of a biblical worldview. Churches would work together to plan our visits. We would not stay in hotels, but enjoy hospitality from our local hosts. After an intensive weekend teaching, on Sunday we would preach in different churches. Once, this brought problems. An elder at a Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland was concerned to find that I, a woman preacher, had been allocated to them. He phoned me to suggest I might want to turn down the invitation. I assured him I would feel perfectly comfortable in the pulpit and he was not to worry! John found it very amusing, but encouraged me to be gracious!

I learnt much from the way John combined biblical thinking and action on issues of justice, even those beyond his own experiences. For example, in the 1980s he began to see gender issues as issues of justice, and created a platform for these to be opened up. He encouraged women professionally, spiritually and intellectually, enjoying warm fellowship with women like General Eva Burrows, head of Salvation Army International. I was so grateful to God that a pillar of the church, from a conservative and biblical stable, could encourage a new generation of women to a vision for Christian leadership for our culture. He will be sorely missed for his love was deep. Yet his legacy remains profound.

Elaine Storkey is President of Fulcrum and a former Executive Director of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity