John Blanchard (1932-2021) was an internationally known Christian preacher, teacher, apologist and author. He was the author of thirty books, including two of Britain’s most widely used evangelistic presentations – Right With God (published by the Trust) and the booklet Ultimate Questions. His major book Does God Believe in Atheists? was voted ‘Best Christian Book’ in the inaugural UK Christian Book Awards in 2001.
John Blanchard was born in 1932 on the Channel Island of Guernsey, and was converted to Christ in October 1954 under the ministry of the American preacher Rev. Paul Cantelon. The following year he became a co-founder of the Guernsey Branch of the National Young Life Campaign, and in 1962 began his full-time preaching ministry, having been appointed as the South-West Union Evangelist of that organisation.
Having joined the staff of the Movement for World Evangelization in 1965, his ministry widened. He continued with MWE until the end of 1979, by which time he had been appointed as the organization’s first Director of Evangelism. In 1980 John Blanchard joined with two former MWE colleagues in founding Christian Ministries, under whose auspices his evangelistic and Bible teaching ministry took him to many countries around the world.
Christian Ministries came to an end in 2003, and Dr Blanchard by that time had become committed to popular Christian apologetics, which involved him writing, speaking, teaching, and broadcasting in defence of the Christian faith. He has written several books on apologetic themes. He was a member of Banstead Community Church, located in the Surrey (south-east England) village in which he lived. His first wife, Joyce, went to be with the Lord in February 2010. In 2015 he married Pam Robertson, a long-time friend of the family, who survives him.