Peter Lewis, the well-known former pastor of Cornerstone Church Nottingham for 46 years, has died.
In a statement, the church said: ‘Although we grieve alongside Valerie and the rest of the family for his passing from this world, we rejoice that he now stands on a brighter shore, in the Kingdom of God. What marvels and wonders he now beholds, they are beyond our comprehension!’
In an interview with en in 2015, Lewis said: ‘I was a devout Welsh chapel boy with a high view of God but an inadequate view of the gospel. I became a Sunday School teacher at 12 but mine was a typical Welsh Baptist church, having had a liberal ministry for much of the century, and chary of anything resembling ‘born again’ enthusiasm as suspiciously ‘Pentecostal’.
‘An evangelist based in Bristol came to show a moving film about a young missionary who gave his life for Christ. The theme was the statement of Christ: ‘I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. Night comes when no one can work.’ He gave a call but while two or three who had travelled for the meeting responded, I was too embarrassed to stand. Nevertheless while praying I distinctly felt God say to me: ‘Peter, I have brought you to this family and this village so that you might be here in this place tonight. You must commit yourself to me and to the work of the ministry for the whole of your life.’
‘At the end of the meeting and after nearly everyone had gone I hung back and asked to speak to the evangelist. He understood. He showed me the nature of the atonement and my need of forgiveness, and he prayed with me. That night, in my bedroom, I knelt and committed myself as a sinner to the one who had died for me. I was 14. My first sermon was preached when I was 15. I preached regularly in the Welsh Valleys. Ever since, I have been an expository preacher who has never ceased to find in the Scriptures the voice of God, the centrality of Christ and the mainspring of my ministry.’
Cornerstone Church have announced there will be a thanksgiving service for the life of Peter on Saturday 9 July at 2pm. It will be in person at Cornerstone and also live streamed on their YouTube channel.
