John Piper, the well-known author, conference speaker and pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, was in England during October. EN obtained an interview with him at the offices of the Zacharias Trust in Oxford. . .
EN: What was the most significant factor in you becoming a Christian?
JP: I have to remember back 49 years! I grew up in a Christian home. My father is an independent Baptist evangelist and my mother is with the Lord. It was a strong God-centred home with devotions every night. Daddy led us when he was at home and Mum led us when he was on the road. So I never remember a season of unbelief. But I made a conscious profession of faith and pleaded for Christ to come to me and forgive me when I was six. I have only vague memories of this, but my mother was very clear about what happened.
The re-emergence of heavy shepherds
What would you think if you received a letter from your church leaders that read like this? ‘Are church members …