Close to the end of his own journey, John Stott calls for 'incarnational evangelism' as the way to turn the world upside down.

Contact: Helen Goody, hgoody@johnstott.org, 970-672-4440,

MEDIA ADVISORY, July 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- Walking slowly and clutching a sturdy wooden cane, 86-year-old Rev. Dr. Stott looks every bit the statesman that, in 2005, Time magazine called “One of the 100 most influential people on the planet today.” Echoing that accolade he also received a CBE in 2006 shortly before completing his 50th–and possibly his last–book “The Living Church” launched in 2007.

Having successfully passed the baton of leadership for his ministry--the Langham Partnership--to the current International Director, the Rev. Dr. Chris Wright; John Stott is now enjoying a well-earned retirement. However, the opportunity to speak again at the Keswick Convention 2007 to an audience of 15,000 was enough to draw out another one of those memorable sermons so many have come to expect from this grand orator.

Stott clearly explained that the essence of what God is doing in the church today is the work of transforming His people into the image of His Son. In vintage Stott style, John took the Keswick Convention along a clear and well-crafted journey through the evidence for this central purpose of God – to turn the world upside down by transforming His people into the image of His Son. But, he added, it’s the church’s lack of cooperation with this central purpose of God for His people that has been so damaging to our world.

Incarnational evangelism or entering into other people’s worlds with Christ-likeness, Stott noted, is essential to the church’s walk in the 21st century. However, our evangelistic efforts often lead to failure simply because we fail to look like the Christ we are proclaiming.

For information on downloading this memorable sermon online, or to learn more about John Stott Ministries, visit www.johnstott.org. (A complete transcription of John Stott's Keswick address will be available on the John Stott Ministries Web site in August.)

About John Stott Ministries and Langham Partnership International:

From the ground level up JSM/LPI wants to strengthen the church through well-equipped leaders who can disciple a new generation of their people. Preaching and teaching networks for Majority World pastors to wrestle with the local issues that must be addressed through God’s Word and backed up by tools for the job (a catalog of 3,000 books and scholarships for Ph.D. level training).