John Chapman on What’s really important
John Chapman wrote this article for ACL News in 2001. While set in that particular moment in time, and directed initially to ACL members, these words speak to us all today —
“There never was a time when gospelling was more important. Freedom of speech and freedom to assemble, unknown in many countries of the world, we take for granted. Do not assume that this will last. It is a great privilege and carries with it a great responsibility.”
With the Gospel, there is never time to relax.
I have just returned from the funeral of a friend who was also a clergyman. He is, in every way, Mr. Valiant-for-Truth. He preached with clarity and passion about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He urged people to ‘turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the coming wrath’.
He could be trusted to do this whenever you heard him. However, he also worked hard for the defence of that gospel. He was determined that he would take whatever steps were necessary to see that the gospel was available when another generation came along.
As I thought about his life and witness, I thought about the ACL. Its members are dedicated to see that, to the best of their ability, the gospel will be known and passed on to generations yet to come.
Much of the League’s work could be described as ‘behind the scenes’ work. They help us by finding committed Christians, who know and understand the gospel, to serve on the many councils and committees which comprise the working groups in our Diocesan life.
Have you ever noticed, as you have read the messages which the Glorified Christ gives to the Seven Churches in the Revelation, that by the close of the Apostolic Age many of them have lost or forgotten the gospel message? Some are on the brink of extinction. Some are warned by the Risen Christ that if they do not repent they will be abandoned by Him! It is an easy thing to ‘let the gospel slip through our fingers’.
We are in a period of change. Peter Jensen has become our Archbishop. The ACL has a new President, Zac Veron. This is a time to recommit ourselves to the preaching and preservation of the gospel.
From a denominational point of view we may be happy and have a feeling that ‘all is well’. However it is to the world around us that we need to look.
We need, as never before, to be trying with every means at our disposal to get the gospel out to our city and country. At a time when God has brought the nations to us, our opportunities seem limitless.
There never was a time when gospelling was more important. Freedom of speech and freedom to assemble, unknown in many countries of the world, we take for granted. Do not assume that this will last. It is a great privilege and carries with it a great responsibility.
Nothing matters more than that a person should come to know Christ!
– John C Chapman.
Published in ACL News, October–November 2001.
John Chapman, 1930-2012, was one of Australia’s best-known and loved evangelists.
He was also a long-serving member of the ACL’s Council.
Top photo courtesy of Matthias Media.
“John Chapman led a diocese to go evangelical, and outrage lingers still”
“The Anglicans of Armidale elected an evangelical bishop in 1964, a move led by John Chapman, best known as Sydney Anglican’s evangelist.
The Professor of History at the University of New England, Thomas Fudge, gave a public lecture on the evangelical takeover of the diocese – making his disapproval plain by wearing a Cope, an ecclesiastical garment disapproved of by many evangelicals. …”
– John Sandeman reports on unhappiness which still lingers.
It’s true that not everyone loved John Chapman, but many many thousands did, and praise God for him and his clear preaching of Christ.
Related:
Chappo’s contribution to the Anglican Diocese of Armidale – Tim Stevens.
“Through God working through the diligence of a humble Christian man called John Chapman, many people in the Diocese of Armidale came to know the Lord.”
Phillip Jensen on Chappo, March 2013. – The Briefing, Matthias Media.
The preaching of John Chapman – Simon Manchester, The Briefing.
John Chapman – a personal reflection from Mark Thompson.
John Charles Chapman (Chappo) – by David Cook.
Dick Lucas gives thanks for Chappo.
In the 1990s, John Chapman wrote this about the need for groups like the Anglican Church League:
“It has been interesting to me to see how the churches in the New Testament, who were founded by the apostles, so soon fell into such error that the apostles say that they have lost the gospel itself (see 2 Corinthians 11:4).
There is in the Pastoral epistles a strong call to guard and preserve the gospel. The ACL was founded and exists to do that. The way they seek to do it is to help us by finding people who are committed to this cause who will serve us on the committees and boards of the various agencies of this vast Diocese.
I have been a member of ACL for more than 30 years and commend its activities.”
Photo: Chappo, probably when he was Armidale Youth Director – apparently taken during a mission at the University of New England, early 1960s.
Sydney’s One Special Evangelist John Chapman — The Pastor’s Heart
Prior to the launch of Baden Stace’s book, “Sydney’s One Special Evangelist: John C. Chapman and the Shaping of Anglican Evangelicalism and Australian Religious Life 1968-2001”, Dominic Steele speaks with Baden about Chappo.
“Baden’s new work showcases the impact of John Chapman, but also gives a window into issues facing evangelicals in Sydney in the later part of the twentieth century, controversies about preaching, the place of evangelism in church life, social justice, and what role each of us plays in the evangelistic process.”
Most encouraging and informative. A ‘must watch’ episode.
Related:
Invitation to the book launch on 14 September 2022.
Chappo: “Do you really believe the gospel can convert your friends?”
John Chapman on the Anglican Church League
The late great John Chapman (“Chappo”) was interviewed by Phillip Jensen in 2012.
During the interview, he spoke about the importance of the Anglican Church League and its activities for the gospel in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and beyond.
The interview was on 19 June 2012 at Port Hacking. Chappo was called home just six months later, in November 2012.
Watch the three minute excerpt here.
The full interview can be seen here, and is also well worth your time (and is good for the heart). The segments excerpted start at 33:20, but enjoy the whole thing. Part 2 can be seen here.
Video courtesy Audio Advice.
See also: About us.
John Chapman: Encouragement for Evangelism
“Do you really believe the gospel can convert your friends?”
[We posted this in February 2020. The pandemic is an excellent time to be reminded of this encouragement.]
In June and July 1977, the Sydney University Evangelical Union ran a major campus-wide mission. It was a big undertaking for the members of the SUEU, and a great blessing to many at the university.
John Chapman (Director of the Department of Evangelism in Sydney Diocese from 1969) and Paul Barnett (Rector of Holy Trinity Adelaide since 1973, and previously Rector of St. Barnabas Broadway) were the missioners.
Several months before the Mission, SUEU President Adrian Lane asked Chappo to record some words of encouragement for SUEU members. This 6 minute and 34 second tape is the result. We hope you find it a real encouragement.
Or right click on this link to download the 3.2MB mp3 file.
Related:
Phillip Jensen on Chappo, March 2013. – The Briefing, Matthias Media.
The preaching of John Chapman – Simon Manchester, The Briefing.
John Chapman – a personal reflection from Mark Thompson.
John Charles Chapman (Chappo) – by David Cook.
Chappo’s contribution to the Anglican Diocese of Armidale – Tim Stevens.
Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane remembers the beginnings of the SUEU – ACL.
(1980 photo: AFES.)
John Chapman Preaching Conference: Bryan Chapell and William Taylor videos
While the Moore College academic year has finished, the college is continuing to make some terrific resource videos available for your edification:
The videos of Bryan Chapell at the John Chapman Preaching Conference in September are now available online:
Talk 1: https://vimeo.com/236191612
Talk 2: https://vimeo.com/236203773
Talk 3: https://vimeo.com/236216522
Talk 4: https://vimeo.com/236226316
Q&A: https://vimeo.com/236211217
Along with William Taylor’s talks given at the John Chapman Preaching Clinic in February 2017, they are grouped in this album: https://vimeo.com/album/4863840
John Chapman Preaching Conference, September 23
The next John Chapman Preaching Conference is coming up at Moore College on Saturday 23rd September.
Dr Bryan Chapell is considering the topic Application in Expository Preaching.
John Chapman, Mark Twain and the Twenty Minute Sermon
“John Chapman and Mark Twain both had much and little in common.
Both were great communicators and raconteurs with a razor-sharp wit. But Chappo loved his golf while Twain is thought to have said that golf was a good walk ruined. Chappo’s spirituality was biblical and evangelical. Twain’s was anything but.
However, when it came to preaching, they had something very much in common. They had little patience for preaching that was unnecessarily long – or even longer than twenty minutes. …”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, David Mansfield would love to hear better preaching.
‘What’s really important’ by John Chapman
From time to time we feature an article from our archives.
The landscape of Sydney has changed drastically since the ACL was formed over 100 years ago, however the core business of Christian ministry remains the same. We hope these articles ‘from the vault’ will encourage and strengthen your faith and ministry.
This one is written by John Chapman at a time when he sensed local churches may relax their urgency in evangelism.
With the Gospel, there is never time to relax.
I have just returned from the funeral of a friend who was also a clergyman. He is, in every way, Mr. Valiant-for-Truth. He preached with clarity and passion about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He urged people to ‘turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the coming wrath’.
He could be trusted to do this whenever you heard him. However, he also worked hard for the defence of that gospel. He was determined that he would take whatever steps were necessary to see that the gospel was available when another generation came along.
As I thought about his life and witness, I thought about the ACL. Its members are dedicated to see that, to the best of their ability, the gospel will be known and passed on to generations yet to come.
Much of the League’s work could be described as ‘behind the scenes’ work. They help us by finding committed Christians, who know and understand the gospel, to serve on the many councils and committees which comprise the working groups in our Diocesan life.
Have you ever noticed, as you have read the messages which the Glorified Christ gives to the Seven Churches in the Revelation, that by the close of the Apostolic Age many of them have lost or forgotten the gospel message? Some are on the brink of extinction. Some are warned by the Risen Christ that if they do not repent they will be abandoned by Him! It is an easy thing to ‘let the gospel slip through our fingers’.
We are in a period of change. Peter Jensen has become our Archbishop. The ACL has a new President, Zac Veron. This is a time to recommit ourselves to the preaching and preservation of the gospel.
From a denominational point of view we may be happy and have a feeling that ‘all is well’. However it is to the world around us that we need to look.
We need, as never before, to be trying with every means at our disposal to get the gospel out to our city and country. At a time when God has brought the nations to us, our opportunities seem limitless.
There never was a time when gospelling was more important. Freedom of speech and freedom to assemble, unknown in many countries of the world, we take for granted. Do not assume that this will last. It is a great privilege and carries with it a great responsibility.
Nothing matters more than that a person should come to know Christ!
– John C Chapman.
Published in ACL News, October–November 2001.
John Chapman, 1930-2012, was one of Australia’s best-known and loved evangelists.
He was also a long-serving member of the ACL’s Council.
Majoring on the majors: Phillip Jensen on John Chapman
“God gives different gifts to different people. The important thing is not the gifts we’re given, but what we do with them. Being a godly man, Chappo always used his gifts for the gospel, and always for other people. He could have used them for himself, but he never did. That was his godliness on display. …”
– Phillip Jensen remembers John Chapman. He touches on a good deal of recent history, in both Sydney and Armidale. Edifying and interesting.
Related: John’s interview for AFES in 2012.
John Chapman — a personal reflection from Mark Thompson
Dr Mark Thompson, immediate past President of the Anglican Church League, shares his thoughts about John Chapman –
“We have lost one of the most effective gospel preachers of the last century. God used his preaching to change lives forever.”
Read it here – Read more
With thanks for John Chapman 1930–2012
Beloved Australian evangelist John Chapman has fallen asleep in Christ at the age of 82.
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them!” – Revelation 14:13.
Russell Powell writes at SydneyAnglicans.net –
Sydney’s leading evangelist for more than 50 years, John Chapman, has passed away in hospital at the age of 82.
‘Chappo’, as he was affectionately known, was converted in his teens and became involved in the Anglican Youth Department and later the Department of Evangelism, where he was director for more than 25 years.
His wide preaching, teaching and writing ministry saw him speaking to groups throughout the Sydney diocese, in Australia and overseas, particularly in England where he was a regular visitor.
In later years he passed on his wisdom on evangelism and preaching to generations of ministry trainees and colleges students. He was also prominent in evangelism in universities, particularly during the 1970’s and 80’s.
His books “A Fresh Start”, “Know and Tell the Gospel” sold in the tens of thousands and helped many Sydney Anglicans with personal evangelism and sharing the gospel.
Mr Chapman never married but was at home in many churches across the diocese. The single quarters at Moore Theological College was named “John Chapman House” in his honour.
Although he had been ill for some time, Chappo received a stream of visitors from around the world during his retirement in Sydney’s south.
In recent weeks, one of his last duties was a project close to his heart, the newly created John Chapman Foundation, established in October to raise money to recruit and train evangelists.
He was admitted to St George Hospital in late October and had been on the critical list for a week.
On Friday 16th November, several close friends visited to read the bible, pray and say their last farewells to a man who was one of the most loved preachers in the Sydney Diocese in second half of the 20th century.
He finally succumbed to multiple organ failure on Friday night.
Archbishop Peter Jensen immediately paid tribute to his longtime friend and colleague.
“Chappo represented the very essence of what our diocese has always stood for and continues to stand for. A strong affirmation of the authority of the Bible, the importance of preaching and an approach to evangelism which made it central while at the same time respecting the intelligence and integrity of the listeners. He was a man of faith like Joshua of old, and he lived out his faith with clear godliness of life”, Dr Jensen said.
“Like many others, Christine and I feel the loss acutely. When I visited him on his last day, he reminded me once more that he prayed for us daily. His support for me personally for over 40 years has been an incalculable blessing.” he said.
Photo from an interview recorded just a few months ago by AFES.
Other tributes will be posted on our home page.
Update: Thanksgiving service details.
Alister Chapman on John Stott
From Oak Hill College in London: “Dr Alister Chapman teaches history at Westmont College in California. Alister has spent the past 10 years studying the teaching and life of John Stott. He recently came to Oak Hill to talk about John Stott’s role as a leader in evangelical Christianity and was interviewed by Peter Sanlon…”
– see the 20 minute interview here.
Chappo – Jesus claims to be the only way to God
In July 1979, John Chapman spoke at a one-off evangelistic meeting for the Sydney University Evangelical Union. His topic was “Jesus Claims to be the Only Way to God”.
John had a heavy cold, but that didn’t stop him preaching Christ with his characteristic clarity and humour.
Hear his 40 minute talk (9.7MB mp3 file). The audio quality is poor, but this recording will bring back many memories of a dear brother.
It’s also a great talk to pass on – and there are many road-tested illustrations which you could use yourself!
(1980 Photo: AFES. This is a re-post.)
Review – Darkness: The Conversion of Anglican Armidale
Presbyterian Minister Graham Barnes reviews Darkness: The Conversion of Anglican Armidale, 1960-2019, by Thomas Fudge.
“Darkness is Professor Fudge’s ‘accidental (p.1)’ book on the history of the Anglican Diocese of Armidale from 1960 to 2019, and the battles between theological liberalism and evangelicalism. The book is thirteen chapters long, 800+ pages, and for the most part theology and history are interwoven.
For Fudge, the watershed moment was the 1964 Election Synod where the evangelical Clive Kerle was elected Bishop of the Diocese. …
Not being an Anglican, and not knowing the individuals nor the events that Fudge seeks to describe, I will try limit this review more to Fudge’s theology, focusing on the earlier and later parts of his book. In truth, many of his comments, in particular about individuals, were poor to say the least.”
– Read the full review at AP.
Related:
Responses to a new book about the recent history of the Diocese of Armidale – 09 April 2024.
“John Chapman led a diocese to go evangelical, and outrage lingers still” – 17 June 2023.
Chappo’s contribution to the Anglican Diocese of Armidale – Tim Stevens, 2014.
John Chapman touched on his time in Armidale several times in this 2012 interview with Richard Chin (on Vimeo). If you only have time for one segment, you may want to jump to 1:13:27. (He recalls events around the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…