There is both a subtle and open discrimination in hiring preachers today. Many of these hiring policies are not in harmony with what we read in Scripture. Years ago while in school training to preach a teacher passed out a copy of the following article. I have not been able to document the author; if you know please let me know so I may give the writer credit.

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TO: Dr. Paul, Rabbi of Tarsus

FM: The Believers Church

Antioch, Syria

Dear Dr. Paul:

I have your application for preaching and missionary appointment before me, and will be as frank as possible concerning your qualifications for preaching and as a foreign missionary. We have to be very careful in choosing our preachers and missionaries, and our Selection Board has reviewed your application and case very thoroughly. We have decided that it would be unwise to hire you as our preacher or send you to the foreign field for the following reasons:

1. It has come to our attention that you are doing secular work on the side. We do not feel that making tents and full-time ministry go together very well. It seems that you do not have enough experience in trusting the Lord for your income. You should make up your mind whether you want to preach or continue your profession
2. Your previous actions have been very rash and inappropriate for a minister. We learned that in a public meeting you opposed Dr. Simon Peter Th.D., an esteemed minister with a high reputation. We also hear that you argued so violently with some of our ministers that a special council meeting had to be called in Jerusalem to prevent a serious split in the churches. We frown on such radicalism. For your own good, I am enclosing a copy of Daius’ Carnegus book on “How to Win Jews and Influence Greeks.”
3. You have consistently conflicted with mature Jewish brethren in nearly every city you have visited who simply want to encourage the converted Pagans to be properly circumcised. Paul, you must know that these men are our most learned sages with a deep sense of the roots and history of our faith. As well, and more importantly, these men control synagogues you could be ministering in if you would simply tone down your dialog into a more friendly and respectful exchange.
4. In checking back, we discovered your Christian education for ministry consisted of a three year course in a Bible institute in Arabia. Your doctorate in the Law is questionable. We find that the Arabian school has not been approved by our accreditation board.
5. Further, you admit to being an unskilled public speaker. Paul surely you must know that people expect fine elocution from men of God, and that as a denomination we stand for the highest levels of excellence in the pulpit. Yet instead of going to much-needed oratory classes you spend your time making tents instead. From your correspondence, you also appear to be spending a considerable amount of time writing to insignificant little “churches” that meet in homes. Honestly now; do you really think that such misguided activities are what will lead to your success in the world of religion? We strongly suggest that you put down your tools and set aside your pen, and instead practice hand gestures and facial expressions and voice modulation in front of a mirror for several hours a day until you come up to par in your preaching skills.
6. We also hear a rumor that you are a snake handler. We don’t have the details on that episode in Melita, but such a reputation could only hurt the true cause of Christ and the Church.
7. It has come to our attention also that you often emphasize “the power of God” and “the gifts of the Spirit.” Also you speak in tongues a great deal. Surely you realize that such as this only drives off the better class of people, and attract only the riff-raff. Not only do you admit to “speaking in tongues” more than anyone else, you also state that you wish all of us would speak in tongues as well. Keep these personal practices to yourself! Do you want to split our denomination wide open? It would be better to tone down those more sensational forms of worship. You sound as though you are “off the deep end.”
8. It has been proven to our satisfaction that you had hands laid on you at Antioch with prophecy going forth, with none of the Apostles or Headquarters brethren present to conduct this ordination service in the prescribed manner. Again, all this “spooky mysticism” must stop immediately. Why can’t you be more conservative like us?
9. We see here that you have a jail record in several places. If this is true, it puts you in bad light, for our denomination has always stood for a high standard of civic responsibility, and I fear it would damage our reputation to have someone representing us that had served time in jails and prisons. Frankly, Mr. Paul, we seriously doubt you could have been innocent and the judge wrong in so many cases. It just doesn’t look right.
10. It seems that you are a troublemaker, Mr. Paul. Several business men in Ephesus have written us that you were the cause of severe loss of business to them and even stirred mob violence. You must learn to cultivate the friendship and influence of men such as these.
11. We also have details of a lurid “over the wall in a basket” episode at Damascus, plus stoning at Lystra, and several other violent actions taken against your ministry. Haven’t you ever suspected that conciliatory behavior and gentler words might gain you more friends? We have never condoned such sensationalism in the ministry. This is just not the type of preacher or missionary that we support and send out.
12. We have learned through channels that following some trouble with a preacher on the Island of Cyprus, you began to allow yourself to be known by the Gentile pronunciation of your name rather that the proper Hebrew. Yet another conflict, and then a name change. This does not seem to us to be conduct becoming to the ministry.
13. You admitted in your application that in the past you neglected such needy fields as Bithynia, just because “the Spirit didn’t lead that way,” and that you undertook a hazardous journey on the strength of a dream you had in Troas. Mr. Paul, surely you don’t expect us to go along with such flimsy and fantastic excuses for your seemingly purposeless wanderings?
14. Many times you did not stay long enough, in our opinion, to get a church established. You left your converts many times without a minister to guide them, and without setting the church in order in good hierarchical denomination.
15. We hear also from Troas that you preach too long, one sermon lasting almost twenty-four hours, even to the extent that a young man fell asleep and was seriously injured. We understand that you claimed to have restored his life and raised him from the dead by falling on him and embracing him. What nonsense! We need practical men in the ministry, Mr. Paul, not high strung emotional radicals. Our advice is for you to shorten your sermons considerably. We find that about twenty minutes is the longest a minister can hold the attention of his audience these days. Our motto is “Stand up, speak up, and shut up.”
16. It is reported from your home church that you could not get along with your fellow ministers; that John-Mark—a commendable young man and nephew of one of our leading ministers—had to leave your party in the middle of a journey; and that you had a violent quarrel with gently, good natured Barnabas. Now these men are well thought of in Jerusalem and we wonder why you are always having trouble with your fellow workers?
17. We have notarized affidavits from four very popular and influential preachers: Diotrephes, Demas, Hymenaeus, and Alexander; to the effect that it is impossible for them to cooperate with either you or your programs.
18. You are not married and have made sarcastic remarks about Peter’s marriage. You cannot carry out the duties of a minister without a faithful wife. In our opinion this is a deal breaker; the fact the Jesus wasn’t married has no bearing on you not being married.
19. From what we hear, you seem to think that you have some direct sanction from on-high, boasting about revelations and that God has chosen you to reveal some “Mystery”. Can’t you realize that any truth that is to be revealed would come through Headquarters to be recognized by established brethren, and that after it had been checked by our Procedure and Doctrine Committee that we would pass it on to the ministry.
20. You spend too much time talking about “the second coming of Christ.” Your letters to the people at Thessalonica were almost entirely devoted to that theme. Put first things first.
21. In a recent sermon, you said, “God forbid that I should glory in anything but the cross of Christ.” It seems to us that you also ought to glory in your heritage, our denominational creeds, our confessions and distinctive, and the World Federation of Churches.
22. Finally, we hear that you claim to be an Apostle. We know nothing of this being passed upon by the proper authoritative channels and wonder how you could back that claim up, when the last Apostles was voted into office right here in Jerusalem. Now that our denomination is firmly established, why do you imagine there would be any need for God to further the Apostolic gifting?

     As you see, Sir, we feel definitely after close scrutiny of your case, that you are undoubtedly the most unqualified applicant we have ever seen, and my advice for you is to find a church where you can work in harmony, and use you past education as perhaps a Sunday school teacher. Oh yes, you are too old. We need a young man who can relate to the younger members of our church. You even admitted this in one of your writing by referring to yourself as “the aged.”

     I hope I have prevented you from making a terrible mistake in your life.

Sincerely yours, for the elders,

J. Flaminius Dufious, Chairman

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     This satire makes a very clear point when viewed in light of how some congregations hire ministers today. By today’s standards, which are not found in the Scripture, the apostle Paul would not be selected as a preacher, missionary, or teacher in one of our schools.

     Ads today for preachers stress that he must be under age 50 with 15 years of experience. Neither Paul, Peter nor John would get past this litmus as their resumes would be tossed in the trash can because of their age. Jesus would be turned down because he wasn’t married. And poor Timothy had two strikes against him: young and not married.

     There is an urgent and biblical need to get back to the Word of God relative to who is qualified to preach and how do we select him.

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One bit of humor I have enjoyed at the expense of my wife, which she now enjoys too, is when I introduce her I say, “This is my wife, Isabel, she is married to a preacher.” The expressions on the faces of those to whom I introduce her are always interesting; sometimes for a moment with a puzzled look. It would be an understatement to say this is the most folly from me she has had to put up with in our 50-plus years of full-time ministry.

     King Solomon was right when he wrote, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22). Whoever coined, “Behind every good man is a great women” was right. Whatever I have been able to do in the ministry is because of the support, encouragement, and help of my wife. During all these ministry years together, “she had stood beside her man.” She has never flinched in the good or bad times.

     My wife didn’t marry a preacher; she married a sailor in the US Navy, who later became a machinist and was a policeman when we obeyed the Gospel together. As we studied the Bible my burden and desire to share God’s word grew and grew. I couldn’t get enough of God’s word. My mind was on the Word constantly. The thoughts of learning more about the Bible started to include studying to preach the Word. I knew absolutely zero about what being a preacher involved other than preaching.

     I remember the evening I shared my desire to preach with Isabel. She listened, asked a few questions, and we prayed. Almost every day I would bring up the subject, until finally she encouraged me to stop talking about it and do something about it. I did. I went and shared my desire with the preacher who had baptized us into Christ. I didn’t know it at the time but in his wisdom he tried to “discourage” me by assuring me I could learn the Bible and share in in the church. It was a spiritual litmus test, i.e. the “new convert zeal” that usually passed in time.

     I couldn’t be deterred from my desire. I resigned as a Detective; we sold our furniture and moved to Texas to study to become a preacher. From that day to this, I haven’t looked back or had any regrets. My wife also grew in Bible knowledge as she attended special classes and college; her burden, along with mine, grew with the desire to share the Good News.

     During these 50-plus years my wife has been just outside the spotlight. As I have been on the stage receiving the compliments, awards, accolades, etc. she has smiled, rejoiced and understood the role that has been assigned to the preacher’s wife. During those times, and there have been those times, when I was discouraged, feeling like Jeremiah, she has always been there to pray and encourage; believing “This too shall pass.” And it did and still does.

     We have spent 30-plus years of our ministry training preachers, teachers, and missionaries. Isabel, my wife, has taught future preachers wives; served as Dean of women, and made major contributions to the lives of young women, some reluctant, so excited, in becoming preachers wives.

     During all these years of ministry we have been a team; each doing his or her part to glorify God though being faithful to the “calling of the Gospel” (2 Thessalonians 2:14). My wife has sacrificed the most, without complaining, as she stayed at home as I travelled the world preaching and teaching. While I was out late at night helping others with problems, she was at home helping our children with their problems. While I was eating in a restaurant with brethren, she was at home making ends meet; serving a casserole. While I had the latest suits, she wore dated dresses; even made her own clothes. I can honestly say she is the Proverbs 31 women—my wife.

     Sadly, during our 50-plus years of ministry we have witnessed scores of preachers leaving the ministry because their wives didn’t support them. In her book, Private Lives of Pastor’s Wives, Ruth A. Tucker, wrote this about the challenges faced by some minister’s wives: “Pastors’ wives in every generation have had widely varying views of their station in life. Some have resented the intrusion of the parishioners into their lives and have been exasperated by the long hours required of their husbands. This position was expressed by an Anglican vicar’s wife: ‘Clergy ought to be celibate … because no decent, right-minded man ought to have the effrontery to ask any woman to take on such a lousy job! It is thoroughly unchristian….I myself am happy, basically, because I love my husband—but I am afraid it is often in spite of the church’”. (p. 10, 1988, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich.).

     I believe many of the negative attitudes preacher’s wives develop is because of their husbands. I have known of cases where preachers made demands of their wives that were not only unreasonable but sinful. These range from never being able to express their opinion to demanding they be involved in every activity of the congregations. Some wives resent being made to feel like they have “been hired too”, as congregations expect more from them than they do the other women in the church. This is commonly referred to as the “Glasshouse Syndrome.”

     My wife has helped me in more ways than I could every express. She has had the nerve and love to challenge me on some point or attitude I had in a sermon. After I tried to justify my action, because of male ego, I had to admit she was right. She has made leadership suggestions that were so very wise. Asked questions that I’d never thought about. She has had insights into problems that only a woman can have. She has supported me when others complained about something I did or didn’t do. No, I am not perfect and she knows it too.

     I believe my wife, as a preacher’s wife, is described by the Psalmist in these words, “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house” (Psalm 128:3). This is true because she is an extension of Christ; He is the vine and she is a branch (cf. John 15:1-8). What flows through Him flows through her. First and foremost as a Christian women, she is committed to “Bearing the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-26).

     I have no doubt that if I had chosen to be a ditch digger, my wife would have been loving and supportive of me, encouraging me to be the best ditch digger I could be. Isabel is a gift from God: “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord” (Proverbs 19:14).

     It is a blessing and privilege to honor all wives of preachers by asking them to step out of the shadows and let the spotlight of love, appreciation, and thanksgiving shine on them. As you hold your husband’s hand remember, “The best is yet to be.”

Ryan had an accounting degree he had earned in the 60s; had worked with several firms in the 70s but had left to go into sales. He recently applied for a job with an accounting firm, desiring to return to the field he was degreed in. He was turned down because he lacked expertise in the maze of new technology being used in accounting firms today. While he had the basic knowledge of mathematics and other facts about basic accounting, he lacked the skills to translate them into today’s methodologies required in accounting. He was a dinosaur relative accounting expertise needed today.

     Ministers are faced with this same challenge. There is a difference between core, fundamental and eternal Bible truths, which never change, and the expertise required in application to today’s ministry. While we grow deeper in understanding Bible truths, which is a form of change; the methodologies required for ministry today, unless continually updated, soon expire. Ministers can become dinosaurs relative to methodologies.

     Because you were successful yesterday, and maybe even today, it doesn’t mean that complacency and obsoleteness isn’t setting in. A visiting missionary wanted to show his work to a congregation, when inquiring about a slide projector, he was told they hadn’t had one in ten years—power point is now the thing. Don’t fool yourself by thinking you and your present expertise (i.e. methods) will survive and flourish in a world that is changing faster that the speed of light—you will become an antique.

     Here is the question for minister-leaders who plan to stay ahead of the status quo or obsolete curve: Am I still relevant in my ministry methodologies? Relevant minister-leaders keep growing in (1) knowledge, (2) skills, and (3) character.

     There are some minister-leaders who represent themselves as knowledgeable and experts; or let others assume they are experts. Some are considered experts because of their “fame”, title, or position. Just because someone researches a few lessons on leadership, or other subjects, and delivers them, doesn’t mean he is an expert relative to practicing. I know preachers who travel across the brotherhood teaching “church growth” who have never lived in the trenches and grown a church. Likewise, some are teaching leadership who have never had an original leadership thought or experience.

     What is expertise? Expertise (n) “1 expert skill or knowledge; know-how; expert opinion; 2 a person with a high degree of skill or knowledge of a certain subject; credibility of a person because of specific knowledge or skill; being the best—the opposite of unskilled.” For example an expert witness is a professional witness or judicial expert, who by virtue of education, training, experience, or skill, is believed to have expertise in a subject or area beyond that of the average person; a person who may be trusted or relied upon.

     Keep in mind I am emphasizing expertise in skills—methodologies—“doing” (James 1:22-25). This kind of expertise comes through various learning experiences:

1. Specific discipline related to a skill or subject.
2. Acquiring specific knowledge related to a skill or subject.
3. Years of specific practice of the skill.
4. Continual adjustments related to the skill.
5. Making changes needed for improvements.
6. Specific thinking and planning related to skill.
7. Relevant testing and usage of skill—trial efforts.
8. Recognition and affirmation by others.
9. Adjustment of routine and practices.
10. Results become predictable.
11. Experience gained though teaching and training others.
12. Daring to try new innovations.

It is interesting that professions such as the medical, legal, nursing, accounting, teaching, counseling, etc. require continuing education units to keep their skills and expertise relevant, but continuing education isn’t required of minister-leaders. Why? It may be because we confuse knowing book-chapter-and-verse with knowing how to apply it—it is talk without walk. Another reason is because of the emphasis most churches place on the pulpit skills of the minister-leader. It many congregations it is the basis of being hired and keeping the job. This is ironic in light of the many ongoing needs, such as counseling, conflict management, change, marriage and family issues, in congregations not handled from the pulpit.

     On a personal note, the methods I was taught over 45-years ago are antique today. This is why I am a lifelong learner; both knowledge and skills wise. There is a possibility that your expertise is expiring relative to ministry methodologies. Here is a little self-examination exercise to help you zero in on your expertise in some essential ministry areas. Using a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent and 1 being very poor, indicate where you believe you are relative to expertise in these areas

__1. Expertise in counseling.

__2. Expertise in handling congregational conflict.

__3. Expertise in exegetical skills.

__4. Expertise in communication: writing, speaking, teaching, etc.

__5. Expertise in developing leadership teams.

__6. Expertise in balancing your personal life—stress management.

__7. Expertise is developing a learning church through Bible school.

__8. Expertise is church growth through evangelism.

__9 Expertise in personal spiritual practices—“doing the word.”

__10. Expertise in managing and organizing self, others and church.

__11. Expertise in leading in change.

__12. Expertise in motivation and persuasion.

     If you have any 3s or below, you need to seriously consider doing something about improving your EXPERTISE in those areas. And even the 4s and 5s will “expire” if you don’t keep them up to date. This is why I am highly recommending you investigate the Master of Biblical Studies degree through World Bible Institute: www.worldbibleinstitute.com It will help you develop new areas of expertise and will enhance those you already have.

Just when I thought I’d heard it all relative to the kinds of sermons some preachers preach, I read this headline, Why I Did a Funeral for a Dog. Tom Buck, a Baptist preacher, told why he chose to stand in his church’s worship center, filled with civilians and law enforcement officers, prepared to preach at a memorial service—for a K-9 dog named Ogar. The preacher went on in his article sharing all the reactions, emotions, and lessons he learned in accepting the challenge. (www.christianitytoday.com/Leadership Today/3/2/2016).

     I am not the judge of this man’s heart, God does that (Hebrews 4:12), but I join those who question the negative light this sheds on the church, preachers, and preaching. What do you think?

     Then there is the popular video on YouTube that has received over 976,201 hits. The title of the video references the preacher as “throwing a hissy fit.” In his sermon the preacher degraded members, saying about (and to) one person in the audience, “You’re one of the sorriest church members I have—you’re not worth 15 cents.” The preachers also goes back in the audience shouting “don’t go to sleep” and rebukes and shakes a member.

   Another YouTube video titled, “pastor goes off on members,” has received 1,046, 913 hits. It features a preacher preaching on love. During his message a baby starts screaming and an extra loud cell phone starts ringing. The preacher goes back and grabs the cell phone and smashes it on the floor and returns to preaching on live. No joke!

     In Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica (1914-2002), we read this dynamic quote that rebukes the above attitudes and actions by preachers while preaching: “One should preach from the heart. Only that which is from the heart can touch another heart. One must never attack or oppose anyone. If he who preaches must tell people to keep away from a certain kind of evil, he must do so meekly and humbly, with fear of God.”

     I could go on and on with examples like these. Examples of preachers acting less than Christ-like and using the pulpit as a place to intimidate, embarrass, shame, and rebuke members. Sadly, preaching like this has caused people to drop out of congregations. There are other examples, not as extreme as these, which cast a negative light on preaching. No wonder preaching has fallen on hard times; no wonder fewer men desire to prepare to preach.

     The question is, “What kind of preaching do we need today?” C.S. Lewis warns, “A man who first tried to guess ‘what the public wants,’ and then preached that as Christianity because the public wants it, would be a pretty mixture of fool and knave” (Letters to Malcom: Chiefly on Prayer). The kind of preaching we need today is the kind God wants, sinners need, and the church must present by “speaking as the oracles of God” (cf. 1 Peter 4:11)

The Kind of Preaching we need today

Again, the kind of preaching we need today is the kind God wants. Period. Yet, this is easier said than done. This is what God told Jonah to do: “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and PREACH to it the message that I tell you. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord…” (Jonah 3:2, 3).

     Paul wrote to the young preacher Timothy about what he should preach—what God wanted preached: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Prior to this admonish to preach the word, Paul reminded Timothy that inspired Scriptures were his source for preaching (cf. 2 Timothy 3:14-17).

     Imagine with me for a few minutes this picture. There is a dead spiritual man (cf. Ephesians 2:1-3) lying on a gurney. The challenge is to resurrect this dead spiritual man—to bring him back to life spiritually. Efforts to resurrect and save the man begin. A psychologist comes and tells the man that his problem is conflict with his “inner child.” The man replies that he is not pregnant. A musical group comes and plays all kinds of music trying to entertain and bring the dead man back to his feet. They grow tired and walk away leaving the dead spiritual man. An investment broker comes next and assures the dead spiritual man that the answer to his condition is financial. After investing all he has, the dead spiritual man is till dead. A media preacher affirms to the dead man that if he will only follow the 10 rules he has developed, the dead man would come back to life.      All these attempts to raise the spiritually dead man failed; just as pseudo preaching of less than the Gospel can’t raise a spiritually dead man today. Finally an older farmer comes forward and asks if he can try to raise the dead man. He leans over the dead man and tells him how much God loves him (John 3:16), and shares the Gospel—the only power unto salvation (Romans 1:14-16). The dead spiritual man is “buried with Christ and raise to walk in newness of life (Romans chapter 6).

     In conjunction with preaching what God wants preached, here are some contributors to effective biblical preaching:

1. We need preaching today that is saturated with PRAYER. Jesus set the example as a praying preacher. He prayed early in the morning, at special events, and sometimes all night. Even on the cross He uttered a prayer to the Father. In prayer the preacher seeks to share God’s will. A preacher dares not enter the pulpit without a prayer saturated sermon.
2. We need preaching that is filled with God’s WORD. The words of Paul ring continually in the preacher’s ears: “Preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:1-6). This is not about or around the word—but the WORD—Scriptures.
3. We need preaching that is LOGICAL. A rambling of disconnected remarks without a specific outline—Introduction—Discussion—Conclusion—will be difficult to follow and remember. Clearly delineated points aid great communication.
4. We need preaching that is spoken from a heart of LOVE. One person said, “If you tell me I am going to hell at least you could have a tear in your eyes.” Truth “spoken in love” guides the proclamation. Love can’t be hidden—it shines through messages.
5. We need preaching that is ORIGINAL. By this I mean preaching that is not a sermon quickly downloaded from the inner net. It is preaching that evolves from long hours of prayer, study, and practice. It is gold mined from the mind of God—His word.
6. We need preaching that is from the HEART. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” It quickly shows up if a preacher isn’t pouring his heart out in a sermon. Sterile and have-to messages have no power to touch the hearts of listeners (cf. Acts 2:37-47).
7. We need preaching that has a specific APPLICATION. Some sermons leave the hearer guessing relative to what should be done as a response to the sermon. It’s the “so what? Question. Suggested applications are usually appreciated.
8. We need preaching that is properly ILLUSTRATED. An illustration is a window that sheds light on the subject. Jesus was the master at illustrating messages. He used the popular method of parables to shed light on His subject and which opened the minds of hearers.
9. We need preaching that is RELEVANT. The preacher must ask and answer this question: What diet or portion of the Word do members need to know? What do teens need? Senior members need? Singles? Young married? Bereaved and hurting? This takes knowing the people. It takes listening and observing.
10. We need preaching that is ENTHUSIASTIC. An ice cube in the pulpit will cast a frost on the pews. Preachers need “fire in their bones” (Jeremiah 20:9, 10). The root word for gospel is dynamite; thus it “creates an explosion” in the lives of hearers. It “pricks hearts” which cannot be silent (Acts 2:37, 38).
11. We need preaching that is APOLOGETIC. This relates to Christian evidences. It is proving biblical truths with evidences. It is “reproving, rebuking, and exhorting” with God’s word. The Christians faith must not be taken for granted.
12. We need preaching that is BALANCED. Some preachers are what I call “Johnny-one-note,” they stay on the same subjects over and over. They continually preach on certain sins, issues, pet doctrines, etc. Balanced preaching includes topical sermons, expository sermons, doctrinal sermons, devotional sermons, biographical sermons, textual sermons, etc.

These 12 suggestions relate to the kind of preaching we need today. These have numerous subsets. Hopefully these will create an awareness and intentional commitment to preach better sermons.

     NOTE: If you would like to have a textbook, Standing Before an Audience, written by Dr. Turner on the subject of preparing and preaching sermons. It is available for purchase. It is ideal for a training class on public speaking and preaching.

       It can be purchased from amazon.com