John Chapman (evangelist)

John Charles Chapman (23 July 1930 – 16 November 2012) affectionately known as "Chappo", was an Australian preacher, Bible teacher and evangelist associated with the Sydney Anglican church. He wrote several books including "A Fresh Start", "Know and Tell the Gospel", "Setting Hearts on Fire", "A Sinner's Guide to Holiness", and "Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life", all published by Matthias Media. The Australian edition of "A Fresh Start" has sold nearly 40,000 copies since 1999. (The UK edition has been published by The Good Book Company, who have also published Polish and French language editions.)

For 25 years he was the Director of the Anglican Department of Evangelism in Sydney, after beginning his career as a school teacher prior to theological training. In his 'retirement' he continued to teach at Bible colleges, to speak at conventions around the world, and to find time for the occasional game of tennis and golf.

The single men's accommodation at Moore Theological College was renamed "John Chapman House" in Chapman's honour.

A biography written by Michael Orpwood was published in 1995 entitled Chappo: For the Sake of the Gospel (Russell Lea, Australia: Eagleswift Press, ISBN 1-875981-00-4). The Foreword was provided by Dick Lucas - formerly Rector of St Helen's Bishopsgate - a long-standing friend of Chapman.

In 1959, John Chapman was curate of Moree Anglican Church and held the Billy Graham Crusade landline services for the whole of Moree there. He started an interchurch prayer meeting in the Warriors Chapel of Moree Anglican in 1959 which is still going today. This is where he met Preston Walker, Aborigines Welfare District Officer and member of the Moree Methodist Church who later joined the British and Foreign Bible Society. John valued the Christian fellowship of Preston and Kath Walker as they were ex United Aborigines Mission missionaries from WA and were evangelical Christians. John taught woodwork in Moree TAFE before becoming a curate at Moree Anglican.