Theodore Austin-Sparks Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Theodore Austin-Sparks (1888 — 1971) (usually known as "T. Austin-Sparks" or just "TAS") was a British Christian evangelist.Austin-Sparks was born in London in 1888 and 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.
At the age of 25, he was ordained as a Baptist pastor and from 1912 to 1926, he ministered to 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, Austin-Sparks left Mrs. Penn-Lewis' organisation and broke his denominational affiliation. 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 at Honor Oak, Austin-Sparks and his co-workers also had a publishing operation with a bi-monthly magazine, A Witness and a Testimony (published from 1923 until Austin-Sparks' death in 1971) and books either written by T. Austin-Sparks or edited from transcripts of his recorded messages.
His speaking ministry brought him around Europe, North America and Asia holding major conferences in the UK, US, Switzerland, Taiwan, the Philippines and elsewhere. Many of his spoken messages were recorded and a great number of audio tapes and books are available to this day.
T Austin-Sparks' work at the Christian Fellowship Centre had a global focus. A great number of those trained under his ministry went to countries around the world as missionaries and Christian teachers. Because of this, he had opportunity to work closely with several well-known Christian leaders in other countries who learned from him and followed his principles for a "New Testament church pattern", notably Bakht Singh of India, Watchman Nee of China and Stephen Kaung of Richmond, Virginia.
T Austin-Sparks died in 1971. His wife, Florence, died in 1986.
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