There are perhaps three pastor-teachers who I would look back on as influential in my Christian life and particularly in my call into Gospel ministry. One was my pastor during my early 20s, the late Mike Ovey was another during and after my time at Oak Hill. Philip Hacking was the third.
I actually heard him speak before I met him/saw him in person. We had started a school Christian union and one of our teachers brought in a tape of him for us to listen to.
The things that stood out were the things I would become familiar with as a student, those long drawn out north western vowels (he was a missionary from Lancashire in Yorkshire), his lively preaching style, at quite a pace and the three alliterated points. His sermons were always packed with Biblical truth, practically applied and illustrated with a liberal dose of Sheffield Wednesday, Cricket and gardening. Philip was the exemplar of expository preaching
He was a preacher in a church that grew large and had an extensive student ministry. He was a national figure whether as chairman of the Keswick Convention, a founder of Reform, later Renewal that sought to resist liberalisation in the Church of England and a key figure in setting up Word Alive, originally as a Bible and student branch of Spring Harvest in partnership with Keswick and UCCF.
He described himself as an Anglican Evangelical with the emphasis on the noun and it was clear that he loved his church, meaning the denomination, but he loved Jesus more.
Philip was an innovator, he brought contemporary worship styles into both Christchurch Fulwood and the Keswick Convention as well as overseeing significant building projects at both.
However, most of all he was a local pastor. I remember him being there when one of our fellow students tragically lost their life in a fire. Philip had a phenomenal ability to know the members of his church individually. Given that there must have been around 1000 there at any one time and quite the turnover of students that was impressive. You were/are one of ours aren’t you?” He’d recall if he spoke to you at Keswick or one of the other conferences. It was Philip who counselled and prayed with me after I went forward in response to the mission call at Keswick.
By the way, I think this helps answer two questions. Whilst he wrote a few books, he didn’t write as much as might be expected for one with his profile. Why? Well if it was true that Mike Ovey’s books were his students, Philip’s were his congregation.
Secondly, someone commented that another of the great old men of the faith has gone home and asked who will take their place. I think the answer is clear. Because Philip invested in people, those who have gone on, maturing in faith and gone into Christian ministry because of him are those who take his place.
Faithroots 