Is Your Church Musician Being Paid?
“Higher Compensation for Musicians” is the third trend that Martha Simmons wrote about in the African American Pulpit Spring Edition of 2007.
Is Your Church Musician Being Paid? Read MoreYear: 2007
What’s Happening to Sunday School?
Now we continue our look in the I would encourage all to subscribe to the African American Pulpit Spring Edition of 2007. As noted before, that issue is dedicated to discussing 21 trends in the contemporary Black church.
Theme or Story
What’s Happening to Sunday School? Read More
Clergy Couples in the Black Church
I would encourage all to subscribe to the African American Pulpit and especially purchase the Spring Edition of 2007. That issue is dedicated to discussing 21 trends in the contemporary Black church.
Clergy Couples in the Black Church Read MoreAphorisms and Hesitation
Henry Mitchell notes that these two features of Black Preaching Style are not as dominant as other ones. Mitchell notes that aphorisms are common in all traditions of preaching, but aphorisms or “clever, pithy statements.”
Aphorisms and Hesitation Read MoreBlack Preacher as a Student of Words
In the Class Preaching in the Black Tradition, I saw one of my classmates, Rev. John Cox, with a hand held computer. I saw he had a hand held Bible in one hand and one of those computers in the other. He was punching things into it. I asked him after class, what is that computer?
Black Preacher as a Student of Words Read MoreSlow Delivery and Repetition
As we continue our series on Black Preaching Style, Henry Mitchell notes that a slower rate of vocal speed is usually used when presenting Black sermons. He notes that there are those who do have rapid fire delivery. Dr. Frederick D.
Slow Delivery and Repetition Read MoreSubjectivity and Rhetorical Flair in Preaching
Henry Mitchell states: “Real soul preaching demands rhetorical flair” in the book Black Preaching: The Recovery of a Powerful Art. He also states: “The flow and phraseology of the King James Version will never die in America while Black Christianity stays Black.”
Black preaching demands not just saying what you want to say, but the way in which you say it. The preacher should use “rhetorical flair” to aid the presentation of the gospel through the sermonic event.
Subjectivity and Rhetorical Flair in Preaching Read MoreStory Telling and Role Playing
As Henry Mitchell notes in his book Black Preaching: The recovery of a lost art, African American preachers often engage in a sermon that is “story telling.” sometimes they even change into the character that they are preaching and preach a first person story.
Story Telling and Role Playing Read More
Black Preaching Style – Call and Response
Call and Response is one of the central components of Black preaching. The congregational participation is so important that many preachers subconsciously pause to leave room for the congregation to respond.
Black Preaching Style – Call and Response Read MoreBlack Preaching Style – Rhythm and Cadence
Black preachers sometimes use the sound of words to make a rhythm. Sometimes this might be a pause for breath. Sometimes the very taking of the breath will make a noise that is a part of the rhythm. Sometimes even the organist joins in with the rhythm.
Black Preaching Style – Rhythm and Cadence Read MoreSizzling Sermon Titles?
Brian Mavis has an article up on sermon title creation at this link. Mavis illustrates the importance of title by noting that the same book under different titles have had much different sales figures. Titles are very important. With that in mind one wonders why so little is written in homiletics texts on this subject. While I am by no means an expert, i have written on the subject in a few posts on this particular site.
Sizzling Sermon Titles? Read MoreMore on Whooping – Use of Tone
Mitchell’s second characteristic of Black preaching is the use of tone. This includes “whooping” but also many forms of intonation and tuning. Mitchell notes that many use this in the “celebration” of the sermon which should be connected to the content of the sermon.
More on Whooping – Use of Tone Read MoreMannerisms in Preaching
Now I am going to begin a series of posts on Black Preaching style. This will go on for a while often interrupted by other posts. In this first one I look at Mannerisms that Henry Mitchell describes in his book Black Preaching: The Recovery of a Powerful Art.
Mannerisms in Preaching Read More