Learning from the Legacy of John Charles Chapman: Australian Evangelist, Preacher, Teacher and Writer.

Adrian Lane

Abstract: John Charles Chapman exercised a lengthy, extensive and influential ministry, as an evangelist, preacher, mentor, trainer, lecturer, writer and church leader. Following his death in 2012, this paper surveys his ministry and calls for further study and assessment of Chapman’s legacy. The paper identifies sources, bibliographic material and areas worthy of research. It highlights Chapman’s commitment to public evangelistic proclamation through the use of expository preaching within a strong framework of Biblical Theology. In modelling and training others in this approach, both in Australia and overseas, it is argued that Chapman pioneered and exercised considerable influence on the development and character of a significant strain in Australian preaching, especially evangelistic preaching, and in doing so offers a distinctively Australian contribution to homiletics more generally.

An earlier version of this paper was originally presented at Preaching Australia: Religion, Public Conversation and the Sermon, St Mark’s National Theological Centre, Canberra, 19 September 2013 and subsequently published in St Mark’s Review, No. 230, December 2014 (4).

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