The project to catalogue the personal papers of the renowned evangelical clergyman John Stott has reached a significant milestone, as the first batch of papers is now being made available to researchers via the National Church Institutions’ Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue. To find these records on the catalogue type STOTT in the Order No. field and click on search and you will be presented with a list of relevant records.

John Stott (1921-2011), served at one church throughout his career, as assistant curate at All Souls, Langham Place from 1945, as rector from 1950, and finally rector emeritus from 1975. It was both his dedication to his central London parish and his efforts on the international evangelical scene which garnered Stott such acclaim. His role as honorary chaplain to the Queen from 1959 to 1991, his multiple honorary degrees, including a Doctorate of Divinity from Lambeth Palace, and his selection as one of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’ in 2005, attest to the extent of his influence.

Records now available include Stott’s travel diaries (1958-2007), which describe his extensive international travels, featuring busy schedules of University missions, preaching engagements, evangelical conferences, seminars and a multitude of other events. This first release of material also contains the records of notable organisations and societies with which Stott was involved as a founder or significant supporter. The diverse range includes the Church of England Evangelical Council, the Christian environmental charity A Rocha, the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity, and the Langham Partnership International. The last of these, originally founded in the UK as the Langham Trust, now operates three complimentary programmes, designed to assist in training preachers, educating scholars and providing evangelical literature to the developing world.

Further material includes a series of files amassed in relation to a variety of subjects, ranging from contentious social issues such as divorce and abortion, to debates concerning matters such as annihilation, fundamentalism and biblical inerrancy.

This first release of this material is aimed at enhancing access to a collection which is being catalogued as part of a project due for completion in March 2014. The next release of material will include records relating to evangelical conferences, including the notable 1974 International Conference of World Evangelism in Lausanne, Switzerland.