At a recent preacher training event I was asked if I thought all preachers should have had formal training in homiletics.  Seems like a simple question, but as with all these things, there are complexities.  For instance, a lot of colleges and seminaries seem to relegate homiletics to a level of luxury to which many cannot afford to give attention.  So you’ll often find a teacher of another subject “covering” the preaching courses.  Or you’ll find a local preacher teaching the course, even though they haven’t been trained to teach preaching.  Either of these solutions could work really well, or could be very weak.

So it seems to me that while I think homiletics training in a formal setting has great value and I would encourage all preachers to take advantage of whatever training is available to them . . . I would see another model of training as a higher priority.

Plan A – mentoring. Biblically and practically I think mentoring has to be considered plan A.  Having a preacher or a full church leadership deliberately investing in a new preacher and helping them develop has to be the ideal.  It may not be enough, so supplement it, but if it is omitted, then the best we can hope for is plan B.

Plan B – formal institutional training. This allows time to develop, full observation, critique and feedback, access to quality instruction (not in every case), and the full range of necessary disciplines alongside homiletics.  I affirm and esteem formal training and am thankful I have been able to receive it.

Plan C – Personal deliberate, but ad hoc training. Taking advantage of seminars, workshops, books, etc.  This should be the case for all preachers, but if Plan A and B are missing, then it is probably inferior as a stand alone option.

Plan D – No training, just practice. Practice doesn’t make perfect.  Practice can make stubborn.  Repeating what has been seen in others can create a driven down stubbornness, or a mere unawareness that the individual’s preaching could be so much more effective.  Hence I urge all preachers at least to read something about preaching and take any training opportunities that present themselves.

Plan A, B and C combined make the best sense to me . . . what are your thoughts on the best training for a preacher?  Obviously “Plan Of Course” has to be prayer and dependence on the Lord whatever the other elements!