Amazing grace john newton
John newton amazing grace story.
Sung at the inauguration of presidents, 9/11 commemorations and memorably recorded by such luminaries as Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, you could be forgiven for thinking that ‘Amazing grace’ had its origins on the far side of the Atlantic.
But not so.
Amazing grace original singer
Its roots lie in the small market town of Olney, in rural Buckinghamshire, and with a former slave trader by the name of Captain - and later Reverend - John Newton.
A life transformed
Newton’s story is a powerful tale of redemption and God’s grace.
As a young man, his life was spent at sea. He became part of the slave trade, rising to the rank of captain and transporting slaves from Sierra Leone to the West Indies.
But in 1748, on board The Greyhound, a fierce storm arose off Ireland.
Newton, fearing for his life, cried out to a God he barely knew. He promised that, if his life was spared, he would devote the remainder of it to God’s service. The ship survived – barely – and Newton miraculously made land.
In his gra