VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/8/18)—Are preachers born or made? According to preacher, author, and educator Dr. Marvin A. McMickle, “No one is born with the mindset, disciplines, or skills necessary to be an effective preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” He declares, “Preachers are not born; they must be made.” With these words, McMickle offers a five-stage approach to the spiritual formation of the preacher in his latest book, The Making of a Preacher: 5 Essentials for Ministers Today.
Drawing from the biblical life of Moses, the formation process traces the preacher’s development through the steps of Call, Character, Content, Context, and Consequences. By exploring the process of spiritual formation on display in a leader’s life in Scripture, readers will be able to consider and deepen their own preaching ministries.
“The Making of a Preacher offers both new and seasoned preachers a barometer for gauging alignment between internal character and external practice. These pages reorient the reader to who the preacher is— namely, chosen by God to live out courageously the call of one who preaches,” states Lisa L. Thompson, Assistant Professor of Homiletics, Union Theological Seminary, in the City of New York. She continues, “In an era of frequent deception, this reminder of the deep and sustaining work of vocational development is a worthwhile digression from the mechanics of practice alone.”
Dr. James A. Perkins, former president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention and pastor of Greater Christ Baptist Church, Detroit, Michigan proclaims, “In this outstanding book, The Making of a Preacher, Dr. Marvin McMickle captures the essence of the spiritual anatomy of the preacher. Using the call, character, and message of the prophet Moses as his model, he not only urges new preachers to be self-reflective, but he also challenges seasoned preachers to do some soul-searching and revisit their call.” He asserts, “This book ought to be required reading for every preacher and would-be preacher.”
The Making of a Preacher is available for purchase at www.judsonpress.com.
Founded in 1824, Judson Press is a publishing ministry of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, American Baptist Churches USA. It is committed to producing Christ-centered leadership resources for the transformation of individuals, congregations, communities, and cultures.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists in answering God’s call to promote Christian faith across the United States and Puerto Rico to cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and heal and transform communities, by developing aligned action networks and programs.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.