The Legacy of E. Stanley Jones

Join Rev. Dr. John Harnish for a seminar on the life and legacy of E. Stanley Jones (1884–1973) at 3-4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7 and Wednesday, Aug. 9 at the Train Station.

There is much this generation can learn from this widely-known preacher from last century. Jones’ clarion call to justice and loving community was shaped by his friendship with Mahatma Gandhi and influenced the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In his day, Jones was described as the “greatest missionary since Saint Paul.” More than an evangelist, he was the author of 27 books that sold millions of copies. He also was a statesman, the founder of Christian ashrams, an interfaith leader as well as a spokesman for peace, racial inclusion and social justice.

Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, his ministry in India brought him into close contact with that country’s leaders including Nehru, Tagore and Gandhi. His writings from India influenced Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s own nonviolent approach to injustice. The crystal clarity and the warm hospitality of Jones’ Christian message formed working relationships with leaders of other world religions and often startled his own American evangelical colleagues, especially when he prophetically condemned racism as “spiritual treason against God.” Jones was best known for inspirational Christian messages of hope and refreshment for the millions of people from every walk of life who he addressed either in person or through his writings.

Rev. Dr. John Harnish is a noted Christian educator, writer and pastor. According to Harnish, “From Jones’ life and work, we can hear a word which is as relevant today as it was 75 years ago. In a day when tensions between races and religions are on the rise globally and the message of the Christian faith seems to be either weak or aligned with a political agenda, the voice of a true World Christian needs to be heard once again.”

Harnish is an ordained United Methodist pastor and the Pastor Emeritus at First United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Michigan. A native of Clarion, Pennsylvania, he served churches in Western Pennsylvania and Michigan. For seven years, he was the Associate General Secretary for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. In that role, he worked with seminaries and programs of clergy education and was involved in the work of the World Methodist Council. His weekly blog “Monday Memo” can be found at jackharnish.wordpress.com. Harnish and his wife, Judith, make their home on Platte Lake in Northern Michigan.