LANGHAM PARTNERSHIP NZ
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Andrew
God's timing is impeccable! Having just finished the below post on John Stott's distinctions between fundamentalism and evangelicalism I received an e-mail about a John Stott's Langham Partnerships extending into NZ. This is very exciting news! My good friend and mentor Paul Windsor has been at the heart of establishing this in NZ. I'm not surprised knowing how much Paul loves and admires John Stott. Here is the guts of the e-mail I received:
LAUNCH OF LANGHAM PARTNERSHIP NEW ZEALAND
Langham Partnership International [LPI], which was founded by Rev Dr John Stott, formerly Rector, All Souls, Langham Place, London, and is currently led by OT scholar and preacher, Dr Chris Wright, is pleased to announce the launch of Langham Partnership New Zealand [LPNZ].
LPNZ will become an affiliate in the worldwide LPI family, which comprises similar ministries in Australia, Canada, East Asia [Hong Kong], UK & Ireland, and the United States [where it is known as John Stott Ministries (JSM)].
LPI’s vision is to see Majority World churches being equipped for mission and growing to maturity through the ministry of Christian leaders and pastors who sincerely believe, diligently study, faithfully expound and relevantly apply the Word of God.
LPI provides scholarships for theological Ph.D. studies to evangelical teachers who will have strategic influence in their home countries. LPI also distributes evangelical books for pastors, theological students and seminary libraries, and facilitates writing, translating and publishing of materials in local and regional languages. Lastly LPI is building movements for biblical preaching in the Majority World.
The launch of LPNZ is a fitting symbol of the passing of the torch, as it comes just after the retirement from public ministry of John Stott after more than sixty years of a local and worldwide preaching, teaching, and writing ministry. In 2005 John Stott was named by TIME magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. John Stott is reported to be delighted at the development of LPNZ.
Chris Wright, Langham Partnership’s International Director says, “I am delighted that, with the formation of LPNZ, not only are John Stott's friends and admirers in New Zealand being given the opportunity to contribute to the fulfilment of his lifetime's vision for the world church, but more importantly, the churches in the majority world will benefit through the continuing growth of these strategic Langham programmes.”
Langham Partnership New Zealand will work along side of, and in active cooperation with Leadership Development International [formerly Overseas Council NZ]. Tony Plews, Executive Director of LeaDev Int’l, will also fill the same role with LPNZ.
This is the culmination of over two years of positive discussions between Chris Wright and LPI and LeaDev. Rev Paul Windsor, Principal, Carey Baptist College [who is now a Board member of both LeaDev Int’l and LPNZ], had met both John Stott and Chris Wright in Australia, and mooted the idea of active cooperation between the two ministries, because their missions are so closely aligned, their theological convictions almost identical, and their values and methods compatible.
Paul Windsor, Principal, Carey Baptist College, Auckland, comments that, “This strategic development brings a NZ-face to the ministry that stewards the legacy of John Stott. In itself that is so exciting. But it also brings together the two ministries that do so much to strengthen leadership development in the Majority World through biblical preaching and theological education. With this opportunity to be involved we Kiwis are brought so much closer to what God is doing in the world where the growth of the church is so great but the resources for the church are so small.”
LPNZ’s first project will be to raise up to NZ$100,000 to purchase two major theological library collections [more than 10,000 volumes], which are available here in New Zealand, for distribution among several theological colleges in Asia.
At the same time LPNZ is very keen to support a new ‘Langham Scholar’ – that is an Asian leader who is accepted into the PhD programme at SAIACS, Bangalore, India, and possibly another who might come to New Zealand for PhD studies through Tyndale-Carey Graduate School, before returning home to teach in their own country.
Langham Partnership International [LPI], which was founded by Rev Dr John Stott, formerly Rector, All Souls, Langham Place, London, and is currently led by OT scholar and preacher, Dr Chris Wright, is pleased to announce the launch of Langham Partnership New Zealand [LPNZ].
LPNZ will become an affiliate in the worldwide LPI family, which comprises similar ministries in Australia, Canada, East Asia [Hong Kong], UK & Ireland, and the United States [where it is known as John Stott Ministries (JSM)].
LPI’s vision is to see Majority World churches being equipped for mission and growing to maturity through the ministry of Christian leaders and pastors who sincerely believe, diligently study, faithfully expound and relevantly apply the Word of God.
LPI provides scholarships for theological Ph.D. studies to evangelical teachers who will have strategic influence in their home countries. LPI also distributes evangelical books for pastors, theological students and seminary libraries, and facilitates writing, translating and publishing of materials in local and regional languages. Lastly LPI is building movements for biblical preaching in the Majority World.
The launch of LPNZ is a fitting symbol of the passing of the torch, as it comes just after the retirement from public ministry of John Stott after more than sixty years of a local and worldwide preaching, teaching, and writing ministry. In 2005 John Stott was named by TIME magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. John Stott is reported to be delighted at the development of LPNZ.
Chris Wright, Langham Partnership’s International Director says, “I am delighted that, with the formation of LPNZ, not only are John Stott's friends and admirers in New Zealand being given the opportunity to contribute to the fulfilment of his lifetime's vision for the world church, but more importantly, the churches in the majority world will benefit through the continuing growth of these strategic Langham programmes.”
Langham Partnership New Zealand will work along side of, and in active cooperation with Leadership Development International [formerly Overseas Council NZ]. Tony Plews, Executive Director of LeaDev Int’l, will also fill the same role with LPNZ.
This is the culmination of over two years of positive discussions between Chris Wright and LPI and LeaDev. Rev Paul Windsor, Principal, Carey Baptist College [who is now a Board member of both LeaDev Int’l and LPNZ], had met both John Stott and Chris Wright in Australia, and mooted the idea of active cooperation between the two ministries, because their missions are so closely aligned, their theological convictions almost identical, and their values and methods compatible.
Paul Windsor, Principal, Carey Baptist College, Auckland, comments that, “This strategic development brings a NZ-face to the ministry that stewards the legacy of John Stott. In itself that is so exciting. But it also brings together the two ministries that do so much to strengthen leadership development in the Majority World through biblical preaching and theological education. With this opportunity to be involved we Kiwis are brought so much closer to what God is doing in the world where the growth of the church is so great but the resources for the church are so small.”
LPNZ’s first project will be to raise up to NZ$100,000 to purchase two major theological library collections [more than 10,000 volumes], which are available here in New Zealand, for distribution among several theological colleges in Asia.
At the same time LPNZ is very keen to support a new ‘Langham Scholar’ – that is an Asian leader who is accepted into the PhD programme at SAIACS, Bangalore, India, and possibly another who might come to New Zealand for PhD studies through Tyndale-Carey Graduate School, before returning home to teach in their own country.
VERY EXCITING NEWS!! John Stott is one of my heros in Christian faith, an amazing man of God.
Attached to the e-mail was this prayer request from John Stott:
John Stott would like his many friends around the world to know that, having reached the age of 86 in April, he has taken the decision finally to retire from public ministry after fulfilling one final speaking engagement at the upcoming Keswick Convention in July.
He will also be moving from his flat in London, where he has lived for more than 30 years, to a retirement community for Anglican clergy in the south of England, which will be able to provide more fully for his present and future needs. John has made this decision with the strong belief that it is God’s provision for him at this stage.
John will greatly value your prayer for him in the challenges and opportunities involved in this transition. He is also happy to reassure his friends that the Langham Partnership International (or John Stott Ministries, in USA), is well prepared to continue its work, even after his retirement.