What is a challenge for churches frequently mentioned by both pastors and parishioners?
According to extensive research by the Lilly Foundation through interviews with pastors and churchgoers, it is the quality of pastoral preaching. While some pastors come to the pulpit as naturally powerful speakers, others may need to be trained to truly excel. Yet all agree on the importance of this skill for church leaders, and the need for better ways to cultivate it. This became the impetus behind a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for Taylor University to establish the PREACH Initiative, which will foster and support preaching that better inspires, encourages and guides congregations to come to know and love God and live out their Christian faith more fully.
PREACH—an acronym for Preparing, Resourcing, Equipping, and Coaching for Homiletic excellence—falls under the leadership of Rev. Greg Dyson, Taylor’s campus pastor and vice president for Spiritual Life and Intercultural Leadership. The unique initiative will identify and work with churches to build relationships and introduce pastors to resources Taylor is developing as part of the grant. Participants will be able to earn a preaching certificate. The grant is also underwriting the introduction of a new minor in Homiletics (the art of preaching or writing sermons) at Taylor.
"The vision behind PREACH was to think big and out of the box in terms of how we might equip and train this current and upcoming generation of pastors," explained Dyson. "It was asking the ‘what if’ questions. What if we could go around the country and find the folks that are doing an excellent job preaching that people might not know about? What if we could bring them to Taylor to interact with students? What if we could bring other pastors to campus to receive coaching from these standouts?"
To facilitate this process of honing homiletics, Taylor created a dedicated lab setting that will allow participating pastors to test their style and technique in delivering pastoral messages, and to be observed in real time by experts. The PREACH lab includes a one-way observation glass window, professional lighting, and cameras around the room set at different angles to follow the pastors as they preach. Even the pulpit is made of glass so that body movements can be observed and critiqued as needed. For pastors who participate, there will also be activity connected to the Chapel program.
The PREACH lab will be named for the Rev. Dr. Richard Allen Farmer, a beloved friend of the University who passed away last fall. Dr. Farmer served as Taylor’s Dean of the Chapel beginning in the late 1990s. After leaving Taylor, he remained a favorite recurring chapel speaker known for his faithful exposition of Scripture, his stirring benedictions, his skills on the piano and as a singer, and his pastoral care. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for April 25.
"PREACH will bring several benefits to Taylor students," Dyson says. "They will get to interact with these pastors and in particular hear from dynamic speakers who can model a strong and effective proclamation of the Gospel. The minor in Homiletics will provide specific and vital training, which will especially help those moving directly into full-time ministry from Taylor, which has become a common pathway for students before they pursue graduate programs."
Dyson is also excited to introduce the inaugural director for PREACH: Rev. Dr. Timothy McConnell, who leads First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs. First Pres has a congregation of 3,000 and a vibrant ministry, which Pastor Tim will continue to oversee while managing his new responsibilities at Taylor.
"We wanted a real practitioner," says Dyson. "We’re doing something big, so we selected someone with both experience and prominence. We wanted someone who preached every week with passion and conviction, and Pastor Tim fills that bill."
What makes PREACH a great fit for Taylor? Dyson—who has more than 30 years’ experience himself in pulpits around the country—points to the underlying mission of Taylor as a Christian university and the vital role pastors play in building a thriving congregation.
"Taylor is not a church, but as fellow believers we are the church, the body of Christ," he says. "Our students are plugged into 60 local churches as part of their Taylor experience. They see firsthand the impact of pastors as mentors and advocates for the faith. I think we have a responsibility as a Christian institution to care about the local church, as Jesus did. This is our gift back to the church and pastoral leadership."
