Theodore Austin-Sparks
Encyclopedia
Theodore Austin-Sparks usually known as "Mr. Sparks" or just "TAS", was a British
Christian
evangelist
and author.
Born in London
in 1888, Mr. Austin-Sparks was sent as a boy to live in Scotland
with his father's relatives. It was there that he became a Christian at the age of 17 while listening to a group of young street-preachers in Glasgow. Within a short time, he too was giving his public testimony with this band of young people.
He was ordained
as a Baptist
pastor at the age of 24, and from 1912 to 1926 led three congregations in Greater London
. During these years, he was also closely related to Jessie Penn-Lewis
and her publication and speaking ministry, the "Overcomer Testimony".
In 1926, T. Austin-Sparks broke with this organisation and resigned his Baptist ordination. Together with like-minded Christians, he established a conference and training centre
at Honor Oak
in southeast London. A great number of Christians participated in conferences and classes at the centre while staying at available guest quarters, some living there years at a time participating in Bible
courses, practical services and church meetings. There was a similar, but smaller centre maintained during the summer at Kilgreggan House in Scotland.
From the Christian Fellowship Centre, Austin-Sparks and his co-workers also ran a publishing operation which printed a bi-monthly magazine, A Witness and a Testimony (published from 1923 until the death of Austin-Sparks in 1971), and books either written by Austin-Sparks or edited from transcripts of his recorded messages. On the first page of this magazine he had this statement:
Among the many books that he wrote, at least three are regarded as Christian classics: The School of Christ, The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and We Beheld His Glory. The primary theme of Sparks' books is the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His speaking ministry took him around Europe
, North America
and Asia
holding major conferences in the United Kingdom
, United States
, Switzerland
, Taiwan
, the Philippines
and elsewhere. Many of his spoken messages were recorded and a great number of audio messages and books are available to this day. He was insistent that his writings and messages should not be copyrighted and as a result they are still freely available. In spite of not copyrighting his messages, he was particular about them being reproduced word for word as originally spoken or written by him.
Mr Sparks' work at the Christian Fellowship Centre was international in scope, with the sole purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. Many who trained under his ministry became missionaries and Christian teachers. This enabled him to work closely with several well known Christian leaders in the UK and other countries, notably Bakht Singh
of India
, Watchman Nee
of China, Roger Forster
of Forest Hill, Stephen Kaung of Richmond, Virginia
and Lance Lambert of Jerusalem, Israel.
T. Austin-Sparks died in 1971. His wife, Florence, died in 1986.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and author.
Born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1888, Mr. Austin-Sparks was sent as a boy to live in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with his father's relatives. It was there that he became a Christian at the age of 17 while listening to a group of young street-preachers in Glasgow. Within a short time, he too was giving his public testimony with this band of young people.
He was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
as a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
pastor at the age of 24, and from 1912 to 1926 led three congregations in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. During these years, he was also closely related to Jessie Penn-Lewis
Jessie Penn-Lewis
Jessie Penn-Lewis was a Welsh evangelical speaker and author of a number of Christian evangelical works.-Early life:Penn-Lewis was born in Victoria Terrace, Neath in 1861. Her father was a Methodist minister...
and her publication and speaking ministry, the "Overcomer Testimony".
In 1926, T. Austin-Sparks broke with this organisation and resigned his Baptist ordination. Together with like-minded Christians, he established a conference and training centre
Honor Oak Christian Fellowship Centre
The Honor Oak Christian Fellowship & Conference Centre, generally known as the Christian Fellowship Centre or Honor Oak, was a Christian conference and training facility located on Honor Oak Road in south-east London. The centre was the ministry base for its founder, the British evangelist and...
at Honor Oak
Honor Oak
Honor Oak is an inner suburban area principally of the London Borough of Lewisham, with part in The London Borough of Southwark. The name originates from Oak of Honor Hill, or One Tree Hill. The legend is that on 1 May 1602, Elizabeth I picnicked with Sir Richard Bulkeley of Beaumaris in the...
in southeast London. A great number of Christians participated in conferences and classes at the centre while staying at available guest quarters, some living there years at a time participating in Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
courses, practical services and church meetings. There was a similar, but smaller centre maintained during the summer at Kilgreggan House in Scotland.
From the Christian Fellowship Centre, Austin-Sparks and his co-workers also ran a publishing operation which printed a bi-monthly magazine, A Witness and a Testimony (published from 1923 until the death of Austin-Sparks in 1971), and books either written by Austin-Sparks or edited from transcripts of his recorded messages. On the first page of this magazine he had this statement:
"The object of the ministry of this little paper, issued bi-monthly, is to contribute to the Divine end which is presented in the words of Ephesians 4:13 - "...till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge (literally - full knowledge) of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we be no longer children..." It is not connected with any 'Movement', 'Organization', 'Mission' or separate body of Christians, but is just a ministry to "all saints". Its going forth is with the prayer and hope that it will so result in a fuller measure of Christ, a richer and higher level of spiritual life, that, while bringing the Church of God into a growing approximation to His revealed will as to its 'attainment', the Church may be better qualified to be used of Him in testimony in the nations, and to the completing of its own number by the salvation of those yet to be added by the Lord."
Among the many books that he wrote, at least three are regarded as Christian classics: The School of Christ, The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and We Beheld His Glory. The primary theme of Sparks' books is the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His speaking ministry took him around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
holding major conferences in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and elsewhere. Many of his spoken messages were recorded and a great number of audio messages and books are available to this day. He was insistent that his writings and messages should not be copyrighted and as a result they are still freely available. In spite of not copyrighting his messages, he was particular about them being reproduced word for word as originally spoken or written by him.
Mr Sparks' work at the Christian Fellowship Centre was international in scope, with the sole purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. Many who trained under his ministry became missionaries and Christian teachers. This enabled him to work closely with several well known Christian leaders in the UK and other countries, notably Bakht Singh
Bakht Singh
Bakht Singh Chabra was a Christian evangelist in India and other parts of South Asia. He is often regarded as one of the most well-known bible teachers and preachers and pioneers of the Indian Church movement and Gospel contextualization. According to Indian traditions, he is also known as...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee was a Chinese Christian author and church leader during the early 20th century. He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison and was severely persecuted by the Communists in China. Together with Wangzai, Zhou-An Lee, Shang-Jie Song, and others, Nee founded The Church Assembly...
of China, Roger Forster
Roger T. Forster
Roger Thomas Forster is the leader of Ichthus Christian Fellowship, a neocharismatic Evangelical Christian Church that forms part of the British New Church Movement. In 1965 he married Faith Forster and has three children.-Cambridge:...
of Forest Hill, Stephen Kaung of Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and Lance Lambert of Jerusalem, Israel.
T. Austin-Sparks died in 1971. His wife, Florence, died in 1986.
See also
- The Honor Oak Christian Fellowship & Conference CentreHonor Oak Christian Fellowship CentreThe Honor Oak Christian Fellowship & Conference Centre, generally known as the Christian Fellowship Centre or Honor Oak, was a Christian conference and training facility located on Honor Oak Road in south-east London. The centre was the ministry base for its founder, the British evangelist and...
- Watchman NeeWatchman NeeWatchman Nee was a Chinese Christian author and church leader during the early 20th century. He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison and was severely persecuted by the Communists in China. Together with Wangzai, Zhou-An Lee, Shang-Jie Song, and others, Nee founded The Church Assembly...