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Iain Murray is the author of the definitive two volume biography of Dr D M
Lloyd-Jones. Volume One covers the period from his birth to his coming to be
minister of Westminster Chapel. |
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David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was born in Cardiff, 20 December 1899, the
second of three boys. In 1906, the family moved nearer its roots in rural
Cardiganshire, to Llangeitho, scene of the labours of Daniel Rowland, the 18th
century's greatest preacher. In that relatively remote Welsh speaking community,
Martyn grew up, a bright boy, though not particularly studious until his teenage
years.
It was in many ways idyllic but in January 1910, the family home burned down.
Increasing financial difficulty necessitated moving to a very different scene -
London. Without losing the advantages of a Welsh speaking culture, which thrived
in London at the time, other vibrant worlds opened to the teenager. Immersed in
the religious and cultural life of Charing Cross Calvinistic Methodist Chapel he
also enjoyed following political debates at the House of Commons. |
Bethlehem Forward Movement Hall,
popularly known as Sandfields |
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In 1916 he began his medical career at St Bartholomew's Hospital. Qualifying in
a remarkable three years he went to work for leading physician, Lord Thomas
Horder. By 1923 he was chief clinical assistant and began research into
endocarditis. The world appeared to be at his feet and many no doubt envied this
talented young man. However, it was at this period that he made a startling and
discomfiting discovery - he was not a Christian! It is hard today to grasp how,
in the 1920s, there could be so much religion, especially among the Welsh, still
affected by the 1904 Revival, yet so little evangelical Christianity. But
modernism had ravaged the churches and seeing the hollowness of liberal religion
some ran from it, while others continued with a form of religion, denying its
power. Others, like Lloyd-Jones, came under deep conviction and, by God's grace,
were converted. The Doctor's conversion came over a period of time and was
attended with strong conviction that he should abandon his glittering medical
career and become a minister. He preached his first sermon in 1925, at a Mission
Hall for down and outs in Poplar, East London. |
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Calvinistic Methodism was the leading Welsh sect. As the name implies, its roots
are in the 18th century revival associated with names such as Whitefield, Hywel
Harris, William Williams. Having grown up in the denomination and having great
sympathy with its evangelical doctrines Lloyd-Jones proceeded to seek to
minister in it. He went for interview at their Aberystwyth Theological College
but was not drawn there. He was accepted as a ministerial candidate, however,
and preached his first sermon for them in Newport. That church was keen to have
him but he was drawn rather to a tougher situation further west: Bethlehem,
Sandfields, in Aberavon, a Forward Movement church. |
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This whole period was one of great turmoil as Lloyd-Jones struggled with this
decision but an increasing sense of the emptiness of this world and a growing
compassion for people in their sins compelled him to preach. God was gracious
and helped him in various ways. He had already begun to discover his Calvinistic
Methodist heritage. Powicke's biography of Baxter, republished 1926, led to a
discovery of the riches of Puritanism. There were times too when he felt an
overwhelming sense of God's love filling his soul. Then there was Bethan
Phillips, a chapel friend since his arrival in London and a fellow doctor. She
became Mrs Lloyd-Jones at the beginning of 1927. What a boon companion she was
to be. They were later blessed with two daughters, Elizabeth and Ann. |
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Aberavon was a working class area. The church, founded as a sort of mission
hall, had 146 members but the lack of clear ministry meant many were
unconverted. Social activity and politics dominated the thoughts of most. There
were to be radical changes in the earlier years as Lloyd-Jones sought to steer
the church back on to firm ground. The drama society was closed along with all
activities not directly related to God's Word and prayer. As he opened up
individual texts, Christians blossomed again and many, within the church and
from outside, were converted. By 1927 there were 165 members; by 1928 - 196; by
1929 - 248. In 1930, 88 were added. Seventy of these were directly `from the
world'. Such growth was remarkable and Murray's chapter on it is headed
`Revival', a word Lloyd-Jones was reluctant to use. Some of the individuals
converted at this time are described in Mrs Lloyd-Jones' Memories of
Sandfields. From the beginning there was great interest in Lloyd-Jones. His
undoubted clinical skills and extraordinary career change guaranteed that. His
remarkable success now brought him further attention and he was often asked to
preach at weekday and weeknight meetings, which still went on around the
country. In 1932 he made his first trip across the Atlantic to preach in
Toronto. In 1935, 7,000 heard him on Acts 2:38 in a marquee in Llangeitho and he
preached to a packed Albert Hall on behalf of the Bible Testimony Fellowship.
On this occasion G Campbell Morgan, minister of the Congregational Church at
Westminster Chapel, heard him and invited him to preach. Eventually Morgan
invited him to assist in the work and in 1938 Lloyd-Jones resigned his Aberavon
pastorate and returned to London. His position at Westminster was not formalised
for a year owing to the expectation that his own denomination would call him as
principal of one of their theological colleges, Aberystwyth or Bala. When this
did not materialise, Lloyd-Jones accepted it wasGod's will for him to minister
at Westminster Chapel - which he did for the next 29 years. |
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Even while still in Wales ministers were coming to him for advice and guidance.
Students were also very much helped by a man who had both the intellect and the
fervour they so respected. In 1930 he was elected President of Inter- Varsity
Fellowship (now UCCF). His wisdom and conservatism gave IVF and
International Fellowship of Evangelical Students a backbone and vigour that they
benefit from to this day. |
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It is his ministry in Westminster that stands out for it was in that period he
became a great leader and preached the sermons later published and still being
published today. However, it is in the first 40 years that the foundation was
laid. His acute and well trained mind (watchword -'Back to first principles')
was a great asset to God's people in what were very dark and difficult days,
when evangelicalism had been decimated by wave after wave of modernism. |
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He found great help in neglected authors such
as Denney, Forsyth, Jonathan Edwards and also Warfield, who died in 1921. He
discovered Warfield's works in Toronto. Lloyd-Jones' clear theological
convictions enabled him successfully to resist subtle foes such as `Moral
rearmament' and the `Neo-orthodoxy' of Barth and Brunner. By God's grace he was
able to forge a truly Calvinistic, Bible expounding yet experiential expression
of evangelicalism to which we are all indebted to this day. |
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