From Barebones to Old Bones. John St Nicholas (1604-1698): Godly Usefulness in Later Life

John St Nicholas was a Leicestershire puritan minister, ejected after the Restoration in 1660. Subsequent to his ejection, he lived on for a further 38 years. How he used his time during his lengthy 'retirement' provides a helpful model for today's Christians seeking to continue serving God as they get older. This study considers the various activities St Nicholas undertook in his retirement years such as reflection on his life, relationships and hospitality, intellectual study and faithful ministry.

"John St Nicholas died aged 94 in 1698. He was a Puritan who thus lived through the turmoil of the seventeenth century. The particular interest of this lecture lies in his ministry in 'retirement' following his ejection from Lutterworth at the Restoration. Here we see the opportunities as well as the perils of such a ministry."

Revd Mark Burkill, Chair of Latimer Trust

Dr Lesley A. Rowe is an independent church historian, lecturer and author, specialising in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English religious history. Her 2009 PhD from the University of Warwick focused on the ministry and works of Arthur Hildersham (1563-1632). She is also the author of The Life and Times of Arthur Hildersham: Prince among Puritans (Reformation Heritage Books, 2013) and has edited two of Hildersham's works (published by Reformation Heritage Books, in 2017 and 2019).