Paper, audio and video of a conference paper exploring further questions relating to my essay, “Preachers and Leaders”

Now, as then, preaching should be understood as the public component of the speech of a congregational leader to a congregation under his care, by which he ensures that the congregation learns, obeys and holds on to the truth of God’s word. A congregational leader leads his congregation by preaching; conversely, preaching is the key public expression of a congregational leader’s role.

In a number of places across the New Testament, we see a certain pattern of congregational leadership. Christian congregations often include certain people who are described as carrying a weighty responsibility. This responsible leadership role is based on and derived from the word of the apostles, which in turn is grounded in the Old Testament Scriptures. The congregational leaders discharge their responsibility primarily through speaking this word to the congregation, in a variety of ways.

Among the many important issues and questions that have been raised during recent debates about women and preaching, one that has received perhaps too little attention is this: What exactly is this thing we call a ‘sermon’ or ‘preaching’? Preaching is the public component of the speech of a congregational shepherd-leader to the congregation under his care, by which he ensures that the truth handed down in the Scriptures is learned and obeyed by that congregation, in light of the congregation’s particular circumstances.

This post is an online preface to my essay “Preachers and Leaders”, defending the essay and the book in which it appears against a particular charge relating to the publication history of one of the books which it interacts (*Hearing Her Voice* by John Dickson)