John Robert Walmsley Stott CBE (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was a British Anglican priest and theologian who was noted as a leader of the worldwide evangelical movement.
[8] While at Rugby School in 1938, Stott heard Eric Nash (nicknamed "Bash"), director of the Iwerne camps, deliver a sermon entitled "What Then Shall I Do with Jesus, Who Is Called the Christ?
[12] Stott studied modern languages at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with double first-class honours[13] in French and theology.
[citation needed] After Trinity he transferred to Ridley Hall Theological College, affiliated to the University of Cambridge, to train for ordination as an Anglican cleric.
[18] While rector, he became increasingly influential on a national and international basis, most notably being a key player in the 1966–1967 dispute about the appropriateness of evangelicals remaining in the Church of England.
[citation needed] During his presidency he gathered together leading evangelical intellectuals to shape courses and programmes communicating the Christian faith into a secular context.
He was regularly accompanied by a leading paediatrician, John Wyatt, and the institute director, the broadcaster Elaine Storkey, when they spoke across the country to large audiences on "Matters of Life and Death".
[citation needed] Following his chairmanship of the second National Evangelical Anglican Congress in April 1977, the Nottingham statement was published which said, "Seeing ourselves and Roman Catholics as fellow-Christians, we repent of attitudes that have seemed to deny it.
He took up residence in the College of St Barnabas, Lingfield, Surrey, a retirement community for Anglican clergy[27] but remained as rector emeritus of All Souls Church.
"[31] The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, wrote: The death of John Stott will be mourned by countless Christians throughout the world.
During a long life of unsparing service and witness, John won a unique place in the hearts of all who encountered him, whether in person or through his many books.
It is not too much to say that he helped to change the face of evangelicalism internationally, arguing for the necessity of "holistic" mission that applied the Gospel of Jesus to every area of life, including social and political questions.
But he will be remembered most warmly as an expositor of scripture and a teacher of the faith, whose depth and simplicity brought doctrine alive in all sorts of new ways.
The two leaders publicly disagreed, as Stott, though not scheduled as a speaker that evening,[45] used his role as chairman to refute Lloyd-Jones, saying that his opinion went against history and the Bible.
[44] At this conference, largely due to Stott's influence, evangelical Anglicans committed themselves to full participation in the Church of England, rejecting the separationist approach proposed by Lloyd-Jones.
Although there is an ongoing debate as to the exact nature of Lloyd-Jones's views, they undoubtedly caused the two groupings to adopt diametrically opposed positions.
[15] Stott tentatively held to annihilationism, which is the view that the final state of the unsaved, known as hell, is death and destruction,[51] rather than everlasting conscious torment.
[52] Stott said that: "the ultimate annihilation of the wicked should at least be accepted as a legitimate, biblically founded alternative to their eternal conscious torment.
"[53] This led to a heated debate within mainstream evangelical Christianity: some writers criticised Stott in very strong terms while others supported his views.
The true Israel today is neither Jews nor Israelis, but believers in the Messiah, even if they are Gentiles ..."[55] Stott never married and had no children but remained celibate his entire life.