John Chapman in Armidale - March 9-16, 2008

A Biography by Peter Chiswell

All his friends and many others besides know him either reverently or irreverently as Chappo.

The first contact John Chapman had with the Diocese of Armidale was around 1950. He was drafted by the Youth Department of the Diocese of Sydney at the request of the Vicar of Bingara to ran a Diocesan youth camp as part of a revitalisation of youth work in the diocese. That camp began for John an association which lasted in person until the end of 1968 and since that time through his friends.

John grew up in the Sydney suburb of Oatley. Whilst at secondary school he embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. From the beginning he became active in Christian ministry as a Sunday School teacher, fellowship member and lay preacher.

After training as a Manual Arts teacher John's association with the Diocese was renewed and strengthened during his period as a teacher at Tamworth, Werris Creek, Manilla and Gunnedah. In 1957 he entered Moore College as a candidate for ordination in the Diocese. Bishop Moyes ordained him after one year in college and he went to Moree as Assistant Minister.

At the beginning of 1960 the Bishop asked him to move to Armidale as Youth Director and re-establish that ministry. In the space of the next 9 years he broadened the scope of that title and his patch became known as the Department of Christian Education. Margot Watkins can tell many stories of the conferences they ran in various parts of the Diocese to train Sunday School teachers.

During that time John's skills as a preacher of the gospel developed and in 1968 he was invited to join the Department of Evangelism in Sydney. He has remained connected with that department to the present day, for many years as its director and since his retirement as an associate.

His skill as a preacher was recognised to the point where he was asked to teach the art of preaching to students at Moore College and Croydon Bible College. He says he has been a failure at getting them to preach shorter and less complicated sermons.

John Chapman is a first class communicator with a great sense of humour and a photographic memory which has a host of good stories. Such is his memory that he memorised the whole of Paul's letter to the Ephesians in order to pass a Greek exam - Greek was not one of his expertises. As a preacher he has become a world figure and has often preached and led seminars in America, Great Britain and South Africa.

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