Fifty years ago, a nineteen-year-old young man walked, fearlessly, carrying a chair from Chatsworth Baptist Church in West Norwood, with a man six years his senior focused on the adventure ahead. About 800 yards from where, the one time “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Haddon Spurgeon lay in his mausoleum, the chair was placed to become an unstable pulpit upon which the two men, in turn, would loudly deliver their evangelistic oratory.
I was the younger of the two; Tony Staite, my respected senior. He went on to be a successful banker, but never lost his love of preaching the gospel. Indeed, on the last two Sundays of his life, already in the process of dying, jaundiced by liver cancer, thin and frail, with me standing by his side to take over when he faltered, he delivered his last sermons. As Sue and I were preparing to leave home for Heathrow on our way to Atlanta came the news that Tony had “fallen asleep,” ready for the resurrection of the saints.
We had made a pact, that whichever of us died first, the other would preach at his funeral, so on February 7th, having left Sue with dear friends in America, I flew back to London. A few hours after my arrival, I honored my friend before a packed church and live linked to the packed church fellowship halls, by preaching from Psalm 16. Two days later, I returned to Atlanta to resume our five-week tour of Southern USA.
The experience of those last two Sunday’s of Tony’s life had a profound impact on me. This time last year, it seemed that the acceleration of growths in my trachea might bring my life to a premature end. I believe I acted responsibly by announcing my retirement from my position as CEO of Hope Now (UK). Jon Budgell, whom I had appointed as Office Manager six years earlier, became the new CEO and both Sue and I, retired.
However, everyone knew drawing a small pension would not mean for me the end of preaching, writing or ministering in Ukraine. I am still president of Hope Now Ministries in the USA, which is an older, separate wing of Hope Now, with its own board of directors.
Since coming to the USA, it appears that the Lord may be putting me in harness with another old friend to, not only continue in ministry, but to also take on an exciting new challenge. For more than 30 years we have worked and toured together and we are certainly looking forward to seeing how the Lord is bringing us even closer together in ministry.
I see a positive New Testament model developing. It’s too early to say more at this time. Maybe, by the next newsletter, we shall be able to announce more. At this stage, I simply want to ask you to be praying for wisdom, guidance and courage for my friend and me and our respective boards of directors. Any advice, you may like to share with me would be most welcome at vic.jackopson@mac.com.
More next month.
Your friend and servant, Vic Jackopson vic.jackopson@mac.com
Orphans, upon leaving huge impersonal institutional orphanages face an
uncertain future, even homelessness, but for some there is a lifeline
called Swindon House
