Death of Rev Dr John Stott

John at Cruzinha, the A Rocha centre in Portugal, in July 2003. Photo: Barbara Mearns

John passed away, on 27 July, at the age of ninety.

In A Rocha we remember John with great joy and gratitude. When Peter Harris approached John, in the early days of A Rocha, and asked for his support, John insisted that he wanted to be deeply and personally involved – which he was, for the rest of his long life. John was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable birdwatcher and a skilful photographer, who was frequently re-energised, on his worldwide preaching and teaching tours, by a day spent in the field. He was on our Council of Reference, attended supporters’ events, contributed to our videos and was the keynote speaker at our Leaders Forum, in Portugal, in 2003.

But perhaps even more important, for a Rocha, was John’s conviction, clearly articulated in his preaching and writing, that God has given human beings the responsibility to care for the earth on his behalf. When our work began at a field study centre in Portugal, many evangelicals were puzzled by the concept of Christians committing their lives to the study of nature and the protection of threatened habitats. John understood. We have a lost a wonderful friend whose support and encouragement was hugely important to us all. His simple lifestyle, the sheer integrity of his way of living and his clear teaching on all aspects of discipleship inspired many of us, and will continue to do so. We rejoice that after the frustrations of increasing frailty, and considerable pain and suffering, he is now at home with the Lord whom he loved and served so well.

Small image: John in his study at The Hookses, his much-loved home in Wales, in 2005. Photo: Melissa Ong