Jesus said
"The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath"
Mark 2 v 27
John Roberts - Colin Jones looks back at the life of Day One's long-serving General Secretary
On the 15th June 1945, the parents of John Roberts experienced the force of the lungs of their first child. The power almost cracked the walls of the well-built nursing home in Barnsley. No wonder Hitler acknowledged defeat. It is thanks to Almighty God that those lungs still operate.
John lived most of his early life around the small market town of Penistone, South Yorkshire. His parents gave him a clear Christian upbringing, and during his early teens, God spoke clearly to him. John made a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, but was unsure as to where this would lead him.
John left his local comprehensive school at the age of sixteen and began his working life in a jewellery store in Barnsley.
Within twelve months he applied to become, and was accepted as, a student at Cliff College in Derbyshire. In 1963, he made his short journey to this beautiful part of the Peak District ready to return home after a year of study. God clearly had other ideas. He continued as an evangelist for a further four years.
In 1967, he was invited to conduct a series of meetings in a village in West Yorkshire. During that week, a young lady called Kathryn committed her life to the Lord Jesus Christ. It wasn’t long before she also committed her life to John. He has always maintained that there is ‘many a miss on a mission looking for a man with a mansion’!
John always works fast, and he and Kathryn were soon married in August 1968, and settled in a small terraced house a few miles from his home town. Having left college, he worked in a large tailoring store in the town, but his main ambition was to become a minister of the gospel. This was his ambition, but he was beginning to learn that God had other plans for him. Despite intense study with correspondence courses, doors of opportunity did not open.
Eventually, in January 1970, John and Kathryn had their first child, a son called Mark, and then in April 1972 their daughter, Helen, was born. Although he had a secure job that he enjoyed, there was still a new adventure beyond the horizon, but as yet, God had not made it clear what and where this would be.
Early in 1973, God began to make his plan much clearer. Through a friend, he was informed of a vacancy in the South of England for an Area Secretary with the Lord’s Day Observance Society. The family would be based in Brighton, Sussex. On the 12th April, John travelled to Fleet Street, London, for an interview, and to his utter surprise was offered the position.
THE JOURNEY SOUTH
On the 6th July 1973, the family left their home roots in Yorkshire to make the 250-mile journey to Brighton. Kathryn had
never lived outside Yorkshire, and now she was travelling to a house she had never seen, provided by the Society, to new school; a new church; a new job, and new people. It was an exciting challenge for both of them. However, John still believed this would be a temporary appointment until a door into the ministry opened. Yet again, God had other plans for the family as John has remained in the Society’s employment for 37 years. There is a clear lesson to learn from this: we have our plans, God has his. It is best to let him order all our ways.
However, these were not easy days for the Society. Owing to serious economic conditions at the time, in December 1974, four full-time workers were made redundant, and a decision was made to sell our headquarters in Fleet Street to ease the financial burden. These were difficult days with dark clouds on the horizon.
GOD IS THE GOD OF SURPRISES
In February 1975, John and Kathryn had an unexpected visit to their home from his predecessor, Howard Legerton, accompanied by his wife. Immediately, John thought this was the end of a brief career, as he would have been the next to go. Instead, he was invited by the Council to relocate to London and become Assistant Secretary in preparation for Mr Legerton’s retirement the following year.
John has never been a man short of words, but for a significant time he was struck dumb. Here was a challenge he was not prepared for taking on. He believed he was still too young and very inexperienced. When he shared the news with a local minister, he received this comment: ‘I’ll give you six months.’ He was a little out with his estimate; he ought to have been a politician!
In March 1975, John accepted the invitation, and was appointed as Assistant Secretary. Unfortunately the financial situation was not improving. The Council had to reduce the magazine to two issues a year. Some suggested replacing it with a newsletter. In April 1976, the Council sold our strategic headquarters in Fleet Street and bought a property in Penge, South East London. It was a reminder of the reaction of the children of Israel when they viewed the second temple, but could still remember the one Solomon built. However this was our new home, much smaller, but still home.
THE PRESSURE BEGAN TO GROW
In July 1977, John was appointed as General Secretary, but things did not get any easier. Within six months of his appointment, his father, who had been a great inspiration to him, died very suddenly.
During that first year, the new responsibility and growing demands began to take its toll and in May 1978 John collapsed through total exhaustion. He was off work for the next four months. When he returned in September, Almighty God gave John his first real encouragement.
PRISON MINISTRY BEGINS
He received a letter, that autumn, from Rev. Noel Proctor, Chaplain of HMP Dartmoor, requesting 150 Scripture diaries for the inmates under his care. That was the beginning of the Society’s prison ministry. Today that ministry is a key part of the Society’s work. Last December, nearly 180,000 diaries were sent to prisons and Young Offenders’ Institutions throughout the United Kingdom. Many lives have been touched by this aspect of our ministry.
Through the goodness of God, new doors were beginning to open in many parts of the country, and the Society was beginning to recover from the recession.
The time had come when the Society needed to consider larger premises and in October 1988 a move was made to Bromley, Kent. The extra office space would be a great benefit, as would our own car park.
TIME FOR A BREAK
John was now preaching regularly throughout the UK, but this led to yet another setback. In August 1990, he was diagnosed with badly strained vocal chords. He had to stop preaching immediately. It was February the following year when the specialists allowed him to return to the pulpit, on condition the sermon lasted no longer than fifteen minutes. Now this was a challenge. It was due to the goodness of God that by the summer he was able to return to regular preaching.
NEW DOOR OPENS
Being involved in retailing after leaving school, and also being passionate about good Christian literature, an unexpected door opened in 1994 that led to the Society publishing books under the name Day One Publications. This aspect of our ministry has given us all much encouragement and opened new doors for our core work. However, the need for a property with a warehouse involved a move in 1996 to Epsom in Surrey, though within seven years we had outgrown the premises.
The cost of being in the south-east of England was beginning to tell, which meant a move into the country. In 2003 a property was provided for us in Leominster, Herefordshire.
Well, John’s story is coming to a close, but is it? Although John has lived in Yorkshire for most of his life, we have discovered that you can take the man out of Yorkshire, but with John, you cannot take Yorkshire out of the man, as all who have met him have found out.
I have let John have the final word, although that may not be the wisest thing to do.
‘It has been a great privilege working for the Society for these many years. Yes, I have had some regrets and wish I had done some things differently, but God has been so good in troubles and in joys. Although officially retiring at the end of June, I am delighted to continue representing the Society in a speaking capacity and giving further help when needed.
‘I would express my gratitude to all our supporters who have encouraged me along the way. Your fellowship has been much appreciated.
‘Also, my thanks to the Council. We have had some difficult times, but some very happy ones, also. You have been good to work with and thank you for your help and spurring me on.
‘But I would not forget my family for their support over many years, particularly my wife, Kathryn, who has always been there when needed and kept my feet on the ground. Without her companionship the work would have been much harder. She has made great sacrifices.
‘But how can I express my thanks to my God and Saviour? He has led me all the way, and been my rock and fortress at all times.
‘There is still much work to do. Battles have been won, but there are others to be faced.
‘I commend Mark and Jim to you as they take on the main burden of the work. Please give them your support and encouragement, whatever the coming days may bring. Always remember our God is still on the throne in heaven and for that I am extremely thankful.’