The Occasional Preacher

I am grateful to Christian Theological Seminary, executive leadership, faculty, and staff, for approval of and support during my research leave, giving me the time and resources needed to bring this project to life. To the faculty colleagues who were sounding boards, questioners, resources, and encouragers, as I worked through my ideas—thank you. A special word of gratitude to Andre Johnson and Zandra Jordan, for pushing me to publish this work, when I was unsure and doubtful. Your calls and texts helped bring this project to life.

Thank you to the congregations that nurtured me as a preacher and saw me as a teacher of preachers, long before my formal theological education: Greater Friendly Church of God in Christ, Okinawa, Japan; Geilenkirchen Air Base Gospel Service, Geilenkirchen, Germany; Friendly Church of God in Christ, Anchorage, AK; Osan Air Base Gospel Service, Republic of Korea; and Wesley United Methodist Church, McDonough, GA.

I am also deeply appreciative of the ministers at Christ Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis, TN; Eastern Star Church, Indianapolis, IN; and Mount Carmel Baptist Church, Indianapolis, IN, who trusted me to work with them on their preaching, to present my ideas, and to hold their stories and concerns about preaching.

To my students, many of whom identify as occasional preachers, thank you for doing the work with me, for asking questions, for pushing me to think broadly. To T. T., D. J., and J. T., for patiently enduring my summer “tent revival” and testing ideas for this book—thank you.

To all the occasional preachers who may read this book, and share in the stories and experiences, this work is a salute to you. Special acknowledgment to the preachers who shared their stories with me to make this book possible. Keep doing what you do.

Finally, it’s time for the 4 x 200m race. Then the 4 x 400m, and at last I can be on my way home. As I painstakingly dismantle the purple tent and repack scattered food items into the Igloo cooler, the pain (or is it joy?) of parenting an athlete who competes in the first race of the day—as the sun rises—and the last race of the day—as dusk sets in and the grime of the day is nearly unbearable—takes its toll.

Other parents are waiting, chatting, picking up empty juice boxes and snack debris in the team area, dumping ice into the grass, and rounding up the deliriously exhausted younger children. They distract me for a moment. Surely, those kids will be asleep in the back seat before the car gets out of the parking lot.

Oh—that buzzing is my phone.

“Hello—Rev., how are you?”

“Well, thanks,” I respond, more habitually than truthfully. “How can I help you, pastor?”

“The preacher for our celebration tomorrow just called to say her daughter is sick and she can’t make it. I need you to preach in the morning.”