Skip to content

Soul Preaching

Menu
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Popular Updates
    • Preaching Methods
    • Homiletic Theory
    • Sermon Construction
    • Exegesis
    • Feature Articles
  • SUBSCRIBE
Menu

Prostitution of the Black Preaching Tradition – Style but no Substance

Posted on October 11, 2011

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Black Preaching Tradition is a great gift to the larger Christian world. Many acknoweldge the vibrancy and the power of great Black Preaching. I also marvel at the improvisational genious of the great preachers in that tradition. While we accept this great gift of the African American church, we also must acknowledge that there are some who are today abusing this gift by taking it and preaching a Gospel that does not take into account the full counsel of God.

Not Just Personal Piety or Economic Breakthrough

Some are today using it to preach a Gospel that only emphasizes personal piety and does not deal with the fullness of the Black Preaching Tradition which includes many different domains of experience including corporate responsibility and accountability. Some are using it to speak of “breakthroughs” that ensure economic prosperity while not even dealing with important matters like Justice, Truth, and Equality.

Preach the Full Gospel

So today, we need to stop allowing individuals to prostitute the heritage of Black preaching and using it to support the status quo or simply to line the pockets of a few high profile ministers whether they be white or black. Great black preaching is not just style, nor is it just an elixir that helps people deal with their problems in this world, neither is it a totally “otherworldly” enterprice. No the Black Preaching tradition is preaching the full gospel of God’s active involvement in the liberation of humanity in all its spheres. Praise God for it. Don’t let someone who has the style but not the substance cloud your judgement of what is good and what is not.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

Related posts:

Preaching by Playing Words Like Notes Default ThumbnailExpository Black Preaching? Default ThumbnailBiblical or Contemporary? Default ThumbnailSermon as Journey to Celebration

7 thoughts on “Prostitution of the Black Preaching Tradition – Style but no Substance”

  1. Anonymous says:
    February 20, 2009 at 2:48 pm

    HELLO My Brother in CHRIST
    “You” are right when you said WE need to stop allowing individuals to prostituting GOD word period because HE or SHE is eloquence with word I was at church ,and a young man came home to vistit ,and they grow up togather when the vistor came and took a saet(he was a preacher to) the other did,nt invited him to come up but talk about preachers with expensived suits made the young feel bad I could tell by the hurt on him face was that prostitution or what
    ? thanks for that word that really BLESSED ME

    GOD BLESS YOU

  2. Rev. J.I. Harris says:
    October 22, 2010 at 11:06 am

    I agree that we need to stop prostituting the Gospel by preaching that God is a cosmic genie who is obligated to grant our selfish wishes. Instead we need to preach about seeking God’s face to establish intimacy with Him. We need to preach a Gospel of empowerment so that we are clear that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can change our circumstances and our communities. However, the prosperity preachers have pulled us out of the “poverty is piety” pit so that we understand that we can attain prosperity in all areas of our lives if we live according to God’s Word and purpose.

  3. Sherman Haywood Cox II says:
    October 22, 2010 at 11:37 am

    Hello and Thank you for your comment,

    Certainly we are to live lives of empowerment. However, I wonder about a Gospel that would tell John the Baptist that his circumstances could have been changed if he had the right kind of faith. Financial prosperity in terms of the American Dream or a guaranteed healing from our Cancer or whatever ailment we face is not a guaranteed blessing to all Christians otherwise why do those who are truly God’s get sick and die? Yes, all who will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. At best the prosperity teachers have replaced one form of idolatry which you call “poverty is piety” with another one which I would say is “riches is piety.”

    The truth of the matter is that you live the life God would have you to live which is one of justice, peace, and kingdom living. The outcomes as far as riches or lack thereof is up to a sovereign God.

    God Bless and thanks for the conversation…

  4. Nicholas Head says:
    October 15, 2011 at 3:05 pm

    Good job brotha!

  5. Re.v. S. L. Miller says:
    November 5, 2011 at 10:23 am

    A few weeks ago I witnessed an otherwise great preacher which visited our church use the bully pulpit against a certain Associate Minister that used belong to the church he pastors. It was obvious that his entire message was geared toward that one indiviual. I watch the puzzled faces of the congregation, his sermon was not received very well to say the least. What is so sad about it is that this preacher is known for preaching messages with substance and it was waste of his time and the churches to use this preaching moment only to take a swing at one person. It is to me at least, prostituting the preached Word in order to satiffy a personal problem that he could deal with one on one with that particular minister.

  6. Rev. David C. Lannan says:
    February 9, 2012 at 2:38 pm

    This is a problem with many churches – too much style and no substance. They are the false teachers who are tickling the ears of their congregations for fear of losing members and their money. The reason the world is in the shape its in is because we have lost the art of preaching with substance or worse, we pick one pet sin and neglect to stand against ALL sins. I think the biggest sin in the church today is we have forgotten how to love our neighbors – because we feel their sin is greater than ours.

  7. Loren Seibold says:
    March 23, 2012 at 9:31 am

    I’ve always admired the black preaching style—something I can’t do, and not just because of my skin color. But I was at a black worship service a few years ago where the preacher turned it up to full bellowing volume in the first minute and stayed there the entire hour, saying nothing new, and making it nearly impossible to pick out anything useful just because it was all at that same intense level. He seemed to think that volume and intensity was what would make his sermon meaningful. Rather disappointing. I was ready to walk out within the first ten minutes, just to get relief from the screaming. I think the preacher would have modified his style if he wasn’t getting so much response from a few people who were reacting to the emotion, and probably not really hearing the (lack of) content. He would have accomplished more for me if he’d read one meaningful passage of Scripture with sincerity, and then sat down.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • How The Blues Helped My Preaching
  • Preaching Truth Through the Blues
  • What The Blues Teaches Us About Celebration
  • Stop Sleeping In The Pulpit
  • Thou Shalt Have Good News
  • The Answer Is In The Records
  • Just Keep the Ball In Play

Free Email Training

Sign up for the New Preaching TIPS Email Newsletter. You will recieve 5-7 emails a week.

Click Here

Revised Common Lectionary

  • August 03, 2025: Proper 13 (18)
    on July 28, 2025 at 5:00 am

    * Hosea 11:1-11 and Psalm 107:1-9, 43 * Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14 * 2:18-23 and Psalm 49:1-12 * Colossians 3:1-11 * Luke 12:13-21

  • July 27, 2025: Proper 12 (17)
    on July 21, 2025 at 5:00 am
  • July 20, 2025: Proper 11 (16)
    on July 14, 2025 at 5:00 am
  • July 13, 2025: Proper 10 (15)
    on July 7, 2025 at 5:00 am
  • July 06, 2025: Proper 9 (14)
    on June 30, 2025 at 5:00 am

People don’t need another polished performance.
They need something real.

This video dives deep into the connection between authenticity and effective preaching, drawing from the raw honesty of the blues tradition. The blues never lied. It didn’t fake joy, didn’t clean up pain, and didn’t hide behind big words. It told the truth — out loud.

And that’s what preaching must do too.

If your sermon doesn’t come from your gut, it won’t land in theirs.
If your preaching ain’t real, it ain’t healing.
And if your gospel wears a mask, the people will too.

This is a call to preach from your scars, not just your notes.
To stop performing… and start testifying.

#Authenticity #Preaching #BluesTheology #RealGospel #BlackChurch #SoulPreaching #NoMoreMasks #BluesAndTheWord
Authenticity, Blues, and Preaching.
What do the blues have to do with the gospel? Everything.

In this video, we explore why passion is essential in preaching — not just performance, not just polish, but real, soul-deep fire. The kind of passion that groans like the blues, that feels what it says, and that tells the truth even when it's messy.

Drawing from the rich tradition of Black preaching and the raw honesty of the blues, we look at how this music can reignite the pulpit — not just to inform, but to transform. From the gut to the gospel, from the blues to the blessing.

If you’re a preacher, a speaker, or someone longing to hear truth on fire, this one’s for you.

🕊️ Don't just preach. Feel it. Live it. Sing it.

#Preaching #Blues #BlackChurch #PassionInPreaching #SoulPreaching #GospelTruth #BluesTheology
Passion, Blues, and Preaching
Cover of Crowder's All My Hope.
All My Hope
Gravity by John Mayer cover #smuleglobal
Gravity Smule cover
Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles cover #smuleglobal
Tracks of my Tears Cover
You will only get better writing sermons by writing many sermons. In this video I share the importance of getting our reps in....practice more. Sermon Construction is a muscle. Like any other muscle you need to exercise it for health.
Get Better At Writing Sermons By Writing More Of Them!
The sermon construction tool that you might not be using.
Use The Hymnal To Write Better Sermons!
The one question that will totally and fully improve your sermon construction.
The One Question That Will Make Your Sermon Construction Better
What 3 things must you have to preach an effective sermon? 

Download the 7 steps to an effective sermon at this link:  https://soulpreaching.com/9-2

00:00 Introduction
01:02 Address a Particular Question or Issue
01:23 Have a Text
01:45 Derive Good News From The Text that Addresses The Question
03:37 Example Jesus To The Laodicean Church
04:46 Conclusion
3 Components of an Effective Sermon
Load More... Subscribe

shermancox

Instagram post 18035264126160509 Instagram post 18035264126160509
Instagram post 18039911987063802 Instagram post 18039911987063802
Instagram post 18053936150312478 Instagram post 18053936150312478
Instagram post 18041906996079829 Instagram post 18041906996079829
Instagram post 17910296783919000 Instagram post 17910296783919000
Instagram post 18035493148903548 Instagram post 18035493148903548
Instagram post 17887097775081541 Instagram post 17887097775081541
#smule #smuleduet #easylikesundaymorning #smule #smuleduet #easylikesundaymorning
I feel Good #smule #smuleglobal I feel Good #smule #smuleglobal
Instagram post 18087447073438590 Instagram post 18087447073438590
Instagram post 17851233018147535 Instagram post 17851233018147535
Instagram post 17907649217946063 Instagram post 17907649217946063
Intro to prayer Intro to prayer
Instagram post 17982108473571505 Instagram post 17982108473571505
Instagram post 18030258256647195 Instagram post 18030258256647195
Instagram post 18128574130309862 Instagram post 18128574130309862
Instagram post 18388873843007811 Instagram post 18388873843007811
What’s on the wall when I’m singing? What’s on the wall when I’m singing?
How bout some blues harp. With a blues guitarist. How bout some blues harp. With a blues guitarist.
Goodness of God cover. Goodness of God cover.
Follow on Instagram

Instagram

shermancox

Instagram post 18035264126160509 Instagram post 18035264126160509
Instagram post 18039911987063802 Instagram post 18039911987063802
Instagram post 18053936150312478 Instagram post 18053936150312478
Instagram post 18041906996079829 Instagram post 18041906996079829
Instagram post 17910296783919000 Instagram post 17910296783919000
Instagram post 18035493148903548 Instagram post 18035493148903548
Instagram post 17887097775081541 Instagram post 17887097775081541
#smule #smuleduet #easylikesundaymorning #smule #smuleduet #easylikesundaymorning
I feel Good #smule #smuleglobal I feel Good #smule #smuleglobal
Instagram post 18087447073438590 Instagram post 18087447073438590
Instagram post 17851233018147535 Instagram post 17851233018147535
Instagram post 17907649217946063 Instagram post 17907649217946063
Intro to prayer Intro to prayer
Instagram post 17982108473571505 Instagram post 17982108473571505
Instagram post 18030258256647195 Instagram post 18030258256647195
Instagram post 18128574130309862 Instagram post 18128574130309862
Instagram post 18388873843007811 Instagram post 18388873843007811
What’s on the wall when I’m singing? What’s on the wall when I’m singing?
How bout some blues harp. With a blues guitarist. How bout some blues harp. With a blues guitarist.
Goodness of God cover. Goodness of God cover.
Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • How The Blues Helped My Preaching
  • Preaching Truth Through the Blues
  • What The Blues Teaches Us About Celebration
  • Stop Sleeping In The Pulpit
  • Thou Shalt Have Good News

Archives

  • August 2025
  • July 2025
  • September 2024
  • March 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • March 2019
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • December 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006

Categories

  • 11Cartoons
  • 11Fiction
  • 11Instruction
  • Associate Ministry
  • Audio
  • Basic Preaching
  • Bible Study
  • Black Church
  • Black Preaching Style
  • blog
  • Book of the Month
  • Book Reviews
  • Devotional
  • Exegesis
  • Feature Articles
  • feedburner
  • Fixing the Sermon
  • Funeral
  • General
  • Gospel Music
  • Headline
  • History
  • Homiletic Theory
  • Issues
  • MiniBlog
  • Ministry
  • Negro Spirituals
  • Planning
  • Podcast
  • Practice
  • Prayer
  • Preaching
  • Preaching Methods
  • Preaching Style
  • Premium
  • Questions and Answers
  • racism
  • Scripture Selection
  • Sermon Analysis
  • Sermon Construction
  • Sermon Craft
  • Sermon Editing
  • Sermon Outline
  • Sermons
  • Software
  • Theology
  • Titles
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Web Ministry
  • WebSeminar
  • Whooping
  • Without Notes
©2025 Soul Preaching | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme