Rising voices echo truth
Leeann Kline
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: In the Spotlight
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Four of those 96 voices were Southwest Baptist University students and alumni including 2007 graduate Sarah Lewis, 2009 graduates Josh Johannes, Chris Dodson and senior Neal Brooks.
Founder and executive director of the Academy of Preachers, Dr. Dwight Moody was a friend of Dr. Michael Fuhrman, professor of Christian ministry. Moody received a grant from the Lilly Endowment to found the Academy of Preachers which hosted the event.
"I felt like it [the festival] was a good opportunity for critique," said Brooks.
But the festival ended up being less about critique and more about giving students a means to communicate spiritual truths.
"The major purpose [of the festival] was to encourage young people who are considering the call to preaching and those who are honing their gifts," said Fuhrman.
Students delivered messages that fell under certain sermon categories such as the life, teachings, death, resurrection and prophecy of Jesus.
Participants not only gave their own sermons but broke off into groups of 15 and heard from other student preachers.
"Most of the preaching [from other student preachers] got away from the text and was more of a social commentary," said Brooks. "Our preaching is not dependent on us but on the text."
Fuhrman was encouraged by how the biblically sound the messages were.
"Our students preached more biblical sermons, stayed closer to biblical text, and were more organized with an eye toward contemporary relevance."
The relevant text Brooks spoke out of came from Matthew 5: 38-41.
His sermon was approved by the Academy even though his topic fell outside of the initial sermon categories.
By describing the insufficiencies of retaliation, Brooks addressed "three ways the oppressed can assert themselves to the rest of the world without resorting to violence."
Upon viewing the 96 sermons, Moody will choose the top 25 to be published in a book this year.
"I will be surprised if our current students or recent graduates are not in that top 25," said Fuhrman.
Regardless of being picked for the top 25, the four students that went were inducted into the Academy of Young Preachers.
Students also had the opportunity to hear from seasoned worship leaders and influential pastors.
"The older pastors have an incredible reverence for the church," said Brooks.
The festival granted the pulpit to student preachers ages 18-28 from diverse backgrounds.
Fuhrman explained that one third of the preachers were African American and another third female.
"I was glad to see our students link arms with the greater Christian world," said Fuhrman.
The sort of religious diversity students encountered at the festival could not have been found in Bolivar.
"There were so many denominations represented," said Brooks. "It was really neat to talk with them."
Sermons from the festival can be viewed on youtube.com, just type in academy of preachers 2010.
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