Foreword
In 1959 the young John Stott was appointed rector of All Souls Church, Langham Place, in the heart of London. There his regular exposition of the Bible as a pastor and teacher became so influential that over time his ministry has spread to every corner of the globe. He has become known as a tireless advocate and friend of the church in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where the church has been growing so rapidly under such extraordinary pressure. The memory of ‘uncle John’ is held in deep affection by church leaders and church members across those continents.
The various programmes John Stott founded to serve the global church family have been amalgamated under the name of Langham Partnership, which seeks to help the church grow to maturity by equipping a new generation of preachers and teachers. It is motivated to fulfil John Stott’s vision of seeing every pulpit worldwide occupied by preachers who are committed to the faithful and relevant exposition of the Bible.
John Stott’s preaching and writing have always been characterised by three things: faithfulness to the Bible as the Word of God, relevance to the contemporary world in which we live, and remarkable clarity of expression. All of these qualities are evident in this volume, which is an abridged and updated edition of his earlier work, I Believe in Preaching (published in the USA as Between Two Worlds). I would like to express our warm thanks to Dr. Greg Scharf for his work in providing what will become an invaluable resource to those involved in the Langham Preaching movements around the world.
As this book makes clear, preaching is not only a matter of technique. It is vitally connected to the integrity and character of the preacher. In the case of John Stott, countless people around the world can testify to the godly influence and deep encouragement he has brought to their Christian lives and their Christian communities. His biographer, Timothy Dudley-Smith, has this to say:
To those who know and meet him, respect and affection go hand in hand. The world figure is lost in personal friendship, disarming interest, unfeigned humility — and a dash of mischievous humour and charm. . . . He thinks of himself, as all Christians should but few of us achieve, as simply a beloved child of a heavenly Father, an unworthy servant of his friend and master Jesus Christ, a sinner saved by grace, for the glory and praise of God.
It is a joy to see The Challenge of Preaching made available to a new generation of pastors and preachers around the world. May it stimulate every reader to be more committed to the task of bridge-building — sustaining our faithfulness to scripture alongside our commitment to proclaim its truth with conviction and relevance to our own generation.
Jonathan Lamb
Director, Langham Preaching
Oxford, May 2013