John Newton

John Newton was an English sailor, slave ship captain, preacher, and hymn writer whose life was transformed by God's grace. As a young man, he mocked faith, deserted the navy, endured flogging, and suffered in chains on the African coast. He later rose to command a ship carrying enslaved people. During a violent hurricane, Newton lashed himself to the wheel and cried to God for mercy, believing an unseen hand kept the vessel afloat. He returned to England changed, married the faithful Mary Catlett, and eventually became a minister who opposed the slave trade he had served. Remembering both his guilt and forgiveness, Newton wrote "Amazing Grace," a hymn that expresses how completely mercy redirected his life.