- Home
- Speakers
- John Henry Jowett
- Invincible Reliance
John Henry Jowett

John Henry Jowett (1864–1923) was an English preacher and Congregationalist minister whose eloquent sermons and devotional writings earned him a reputation as one of the early 20th century’s most gifted pulpit orators. Born in Halifax, Yorkshire, to a working-class family—his father, Joseph, a tailor, and his mother, Sarah, a devout Christian—he grew up in a religious home and excelled academically at Airedale College and Edinburgh University, where he trained for ministry. Ordained in 1889, he began his career at St. James’s Congregational Church in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, serving until 1895, when he succeeded R.W. Dale at Carr’s Lane Chapel in Birmingham, a post he held for 16 years. Married to Mary Jane Langhorne in 1891, with whom he had no children, Jowett’s personal warmth and intellectual depth fueled his pastoral work. Jowett’s ministry reached its zenith in the United States and London, where his preaching drew widespread acclaim—Charles Haddon Spurgeon reportedly called him a successor in spirit. In 1911, he accepted a call to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, serving until 1918, captivating American audiences with his poetic style and emphasis on Christ’s transformative power. Returning to England, he ministered at Westminster Chapel in London from 1918 until ill health forced his retirement in 1922. Author of over 30 books, including The Passion for Souls and The Preacher: His Life and Work (from his 1912 Yale lectures), Jowett blended mysticism with practical faith. He died in 1923 in London, leaving a legacy as a preacher whose lyrical voice and spiritual insight inspired congregations across two continents.
Download
Topic
Sermon Summary
John Henry Jowett emphasizes the importance of having faith in God's ability to fulfill His promises, highlighting that this faith leads to heroic actions and ventures. This faith is rooted in the belief that God cannot fail and that He is always on time, with the resources already prepared. It is a faith that enables believers to face seemingly impossible tasks with confidence, knowing that God is able to provide. Jowett encourages his audience to trust in God's provision and grace, even in the midst of challenges and sacrifices.
Invincible Reliance
HEBREWS xi. 17-22. "Accounting that God was able." That is the faith that makes moral heroes. That is the faith that prompts mighty ventures and crusades. It is faith in God's willingness and ability to redeem His promises. It is faith that if I do my part He will most assuredly do His. It is faith that He cannot possibly fail. It is faith that when He makes a promise the money is already in the bank. It is faith that when He sends me into the wilderness the secret harvest is already ripe from which He will give me "daily bread." It is faith that "all things are now ready," and in that faith I will face the apparently impossible task. And thus the "impossible" leads me to the "prepared." The desert leads me to "fields white already." The hard call to sacrifice leads me to the "lamb in the thicket." "God is able," and He is never behind the time. The critical need unveils His grace. Faith goes out on this invincible reliance. It is "the assurance of things hoped for." And by faith it inherits these things and is rich and strong in their possession.
- Bio
- Summary
- Transcript
- Download

John Henry Jowett (1864–1923) was an English preacher and Congregationalist minister whose eloquent sermons and devotional writings earned him a reputation as one of the early 20th century’s most gifted pulpit orators. Born in Halifax, Yorkshire, to a working-class family—his father, Joseph, a tailor, and his mother, Sarah, a devout Christian—he grew up in a religious home and excelled academically at Airedale College and Edinburgh University, where he trained for ministry. Ordained in 1889, he began his career at St. James’s Congregational Church in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, serving until 1895, when he succeeded R.W. Dale at Carr’s Lane Chapel in Birmingham, a post he held for 16 years. Married to Mary Jane Langhorne in 1891, with whom he had no children, Jowett’s personal warmth and intellectual depth fueled his pastoral work. Jowett’s ministry reached its zenith in the United States and London, where his preaching drew widespread acclaim—Charles Haddon Spurgeon reportedly called him a successor in spirit. In 1911, he accepted a call to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, serving until 1918, captivating American audiences with his poetic style and emphasis on Christ’s transformative power. Returning to England, he ministered at Westminster Chapel in London from 1918 until ill health forced his retirement in 1922. Author of over 30 books, including The Passion for Souls and The Preacher: His Life and Work (from his 1912 Yale lectures), Jowett blended mysticism with practical faith. He died in 1923 in London, leaving a legacy as a preacher whose lyrical voice and spiritual insight inspired congregations across two continents.