British Evangelical John Stott Named Honorary Chair of Lausanne Committee

The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelisation (LCWE) has announced on 28th June, the influential British evangelical Dr. John R. W. Stott, to become the Honorary Chair of the LCWE. The major and life-long contribution of John Stott to the world’s evangelical movement has been highly appreciated by Lausanne.

Rev. S. Douglas Birdsall, Executive Chair of Lausanne, said in many ways the name John Stott is synonymous with Lausanne because of the key role he has played in the development of the movement.

John Stott was born in London in 1921. He obtained a 1st class degree in French and Theology at Trinity College Cambridge. He also has honorary doctorates from British, Canadian and American colleges. He is a committed churchman in the Church of England since he was ordained into the ministry in 1945. He serves the All Souls Church at Langham Place in London, where the street is famous for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC).

During the last quarter century, John Stott has travelled across the world for ministry to pastors and students. He is the founder of John Stott Ministries with a vision to serve the church in the Majority World by supporting evangelical graduate students with discipleship training, pastoral care, theological resources and Christian literature. His ministry is now set up in US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong as well as the UK and Ireland.

Nationally, John Stott has worked as a top leader in many evangelical organisations throughout his life, for instance, the Church of England Evangelical Council, Scripture Union, British Evangelical Alliance as well as Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF). He has been a Chaplain to the Queen since 1959. He is now the President of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC).

In addition, his prominence within North American evangelicalism was reflected in his role as Bible expositor on six occasions at the triennial Urbana Student Mission Convention arranged by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He was vice president of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) from 1995 to 2003.

John Stott is a talented author as well. He has written over 40 books. His best known, Basic Christianity, has been translated into more than 50 languages. Other titles include The Cross of Christ, The Contemporary Christian, Evangelical Truth and New Issues Facing Christians Today, and eight New Testament expositions (Acts, Romans etc.) in the 'Bible Speaks Today' series.

Being recognised as a leading evangelical in the world, a recent article in TIME magazine in April named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Birdsall described John Stott as "an exemplary churchman, scholar and preacher committed to the full counsel of God" and has "a heart and a vision for the world". Thus, he models the catchwords of Lausanne – "the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world".

Stott has been involved with Lausanne in various leadership roles since the beginning of the movement. At the historical 1974 International Congress on World Evangelisation, Stott served as chair of the drafting committee for the Lausanne Covenant and was one of the Covenant's principal writers. From 1974-81, Stott chaired the Lausanne Theology and Education Group.

During the Second Lausanne International Congress on World Evangelisation in 1989, Stott was drafting committee chair for the Manila Manifesto, a document that affirmed the Lausanne Covenant and stated, among other things, "...the urgent need for churches, mission agencies and other Christian organisations to cooperate in evangelism and social action . . ."

Today, the Lausanne Covenant and the Manila Manifesto continue to provide a theological and historical underpinning for denominations, ministries and individuals committed to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Birdsall said Stott's life-long service to Christ and to the work of the church is a life that is "consistent with the gospel we proclaim". He is therefore a valuable model for emerging leaders and established leaders around the world.

Birdsall also believes that Stott's involvement with Lausanne this time will also "provide inspiration for Christian leaders worldwide as they come together to address the task of global evangelisation through a revitalised Lausanne movement."