Preaching Blog

By Frank A. Thomas | I was a very young seminarian in 1979 when I first heard that there was such a thing as the Black Seminarians Conference. My classmate, Leroy Sanders, and I wanted to attend this event in Atlanta, Georgia, so we approached our president, Dr. Charles Shelby Rooks, to request financial support.

By Kimberly Nash Alexander | Mental health is an integral part of self-care. In the church we are reluctant to discuss depression. Yet many suffer in silence. Often called the “common cold”, depression quietly lurks in the shadows. One of the contributing factors to depression is often loneliness.

By Frank A. Thomas | I offer insight and wisdom to new pastors and congregations in this interview at the Pastoral Excellence Network (PEN) Transition Into Ministry (TiM) gathering.

By Joyce Thomas | Pastors’ spouses really do have their own level of influence that is an attraction to many church members. Sometimes their influence is something that even they don’t understand, except that people often tell them how much they appreciate the way they carry themselves or do certain things. I remember when my husband demonstrated a level of excitement after a sermon that neither I nor the congregation had seen in him before.

By Frank A. Thomas | Every preaching assignment is a big occasion, and therefore has the potential for Flunk, but some sermons, lectures, etc. are bigger and more important occasions. For example, when we Flunk at home, redemption is always readily available. Our members love us and they say things like, “Pastor cannot hit a home run every week. Even professional baseball players strike out one out of every three times at bat.”