George Offor is my homeboy.

It’s not a slogan you see printed on T-shirts, and for a good reason. Nobody really knows anything about George Offor. And that’s why he’s my homeboy.

For years this nineteenth-century scholar devoted his life to traveling England and Wales, picking through dusty attic boxes and stuffy old library archives. He spent his days reading, researching, recording, comparing, and editing the works of Puritan John Bunyan. Offor’s diligent labor concluded in 1854 with the printing of the three-volume, 2,800 page Works of John Bunyan. Now over a century and a half old, Offor’s final product remains the most popular definitive collection of Bunyan in print.

Each time I reach for one of these volumes, I’m thankful for the efforts of George Offer. I want to be like George.

C.J. will be uncomfortable with me drawing parallels between Bunyan and himself. I know. But there are noteworthy parallels. Neither enjoyed much in the way of formal education. Both were raised in blue-collar families, and neither bleached the blue collar. Both are monuments to the power of God’s sovereign grace. Both pastored souls. And just as Bunyan communicated to his age in a popular level, C.J. now communicates to his age on a popular level. Both apply orthodox theology to everyday life situations. Both delight themselves in the cross. Both earnestly plead with sinners to be reconciled to God.

For these reasons Bunyan’s popularity remains strong almost 380 years after his birth. This same concrete application of Scripture (and especially the cross) to daily life is why interest in C.J.’s ministry will likely extend long into the future.

For years C.J.’s counsel and wisdom has greatly influenced those surrounding him, as well as those who are a part of an increasingly diverse network of relationships. And those privileged souls close enough to C.J. to hear his counsel have been noticeably changed. But beyond the reach of his voice (which is surprisingly far), much of the wisdom and spiritual insights have passed unrecorded.

My job now focuses on gathering and collecting ministry wisdom and insights from C.J.’s life and passing these along to you, and (Lord willing) to generations of Christians whose grandparents are yet unborn. I’ll trek back into what C.J. has said in the past, document some of what he says currently, and develop these notes to pass them on to you. I’ll have the honor and privilege to sit in meetings, travel to conferences, and listen in on his coffee shop chats—catching the noteworthy, asking for clarity, developing thoughts, and providing his insights to serve your Christian life and ministry. My job is to be your eyes and ears into C.J.’s life and ministry. The blogosphere is a choice medium for the task ahead.

George Offor’s extensive collection of Bunyan was finally published in 1854, though I really know nothing of this editor’s life. He has no Wikipedia page. Very little of what he devoted his life towards contains anything about him personally. I only know him through his obviously diligent labors in highlighting the wisdom and preaching of John Bunyan.

I imagine if I could take George to Starbucks for a chat, he would not only voice excitement for this blog, but would affirm the privileged task of collecting and assembling the wisdom and teachings of those few exceptionally gifted men God raises in each generation of his church.