In Depth:  Tom Marshall

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the death of David Watson, one-time vicar of St. Michael le Belfrey, York, pioneer behind the Renewal movement within Anglicanism during the 1960s-80s, and much-loved international evangelist.

In Matthew 22, the Lord Jesus rounds on the Sadducees, telling them: ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God’. In these words, Jesus encapsulates the basic, two-fold requirement of Christian discipleship: to know and love the Word of God; and to live in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. It could be argued that evangelical leaders through the years have usually stood on one or the other side: they are either remembered for their ability to expound the Scriptures eloquently, or for their advocacy of a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered Christian life. David Watson is remembered for both. As such, his memory and work should be treasured by so-called ‘conservative’ and ‘charismatic’ evangelicals alike.