Louisville, KENTUCKY (PRWEB) December 29, 2014
More than 100 young preachers are preparing to begin the New Year in Dallas to share their thoughts on spirituality and social concerns during the 2015 National Festival of Young Preachers. Held January 2-5, the annual event will be hosted at three venues- Highland Park United Methodist Church, Perkins School of Theology, and Holiday Inn Central, in Dallas.
In its sixth year, the annual festival is a trans-denominational showcase designed to encourage young people who aspire to be preachers of the Gospel. National and regional festivals have been held in Austin, Waco, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Nashville and Boston. This year’s event, themed “Tell Me a Story,” will be the largest with 400 people in attendance from across the U.S.
A flag-ship program of Kentucky-based The Academy of Preachers, The Festival of Young Preachers is not a competition. It is a celebration, an inspiration, an occasion of mutual edification and encouragement. During the festival, young preachers, ages 14-28 and representing every Christian tradition (including Evangelical, Orthodox, Protestant, Pentecostal, and Roman Catholic), deliver sermons as they would in their home environment: dress, text, voice, style, substance, or other traditions. The young preachers will speak on this year’s annual theme while addressing societal and spiritual issues. This diversity has proven to be one of the most transformational elements about the gathering.
Highlights of the four-day event include:
- Master Class Series led by facilitators: Alyce M. McKenzie, PhD, Professor of Preaching and Worship at Perkins School of Theology and director of the newly formed Perkins Center for Preaching Excellence; Kwasi Kena, PhD, Assistant Professor of Christian Ministry, Wesley Seminary, Indiana Wesleyan University and ordained elder of the United Methodist Church; William Hulitt Gloer, PhD, Professor of Preaching and Christian Scriptures at Truett Theological Seminary and Director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching; Joel C. Gregory, PhD, Professor of Preaching at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University and President of Joel Gregory Ministries; Dwight A. Moody, President and Founder of the Academy of Preachers; and Keynote Speaker Kate Bringardner, actor, model, coach, and Founder/Principal of The Speaker’s Studio in Louisville, KY.
- Music Ministry and Workshops led by Everett McCorvey and the American Spiritual Ensemble (http://www.americanspiritualensemble.com), an internationally renowned group of classical (opera) vocalists who perform Negro Spirituals
- Sunday Teen Track for preachers ages 18 or younger, will have an opportunity to preach and receive professional and peer feedback
- A book release of “Questions of the Soul” a compilation of 2014 festival sermons
- Joint Worship Service at the Highland Park United Methodist Church
- Planning and meeting sessions with representatives of the first nine inaugural Academy of Preachers Chapters
- Preaching Series which features more than 100 young preachers delivering sermons on the 2015 theme, “Tell Me a Story.”
- Sponsors’ Fiesta, held on opening night, features a “speed-dating” set-up where groups of four Young Preachers will spend one minute with representatives to receive more information about the sponsoring institutions (seminaries) or organizations before moving along to the next conversation.
Admission to attend any of the preaching sessions is $10 (individual), $15 (family) or $25 (youth groups of 5 or more) and is payable at the door. For more information, visit http://www.academyofpreachers.net or call (859) 229-8642.
Youtube (http://www.academyofpreachers.net/young-preachers/sermon-videos-from-2013-national-festival-of-young-preachers/)
A sample of this broad constituency can be viewed on our YouTube channel where many of the sermon videos are posted; or by clicking a sermon video of those who preached in previous National Festivals of Young Preachers.
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ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF PREACHERS
The Academy of Preachers seeks to Identify, Network, Support and Inspire young people in their call to Gospel preaching. Since its launch in 2009, this ecumenical organization has worked with more than 1000 young people from across the nation. The Academy of Preachers is energized by the conviction that Gospel preaching is a vocation of public and social significance.
Young Preachers are generally high school, college, university and seminary students between the ages of 14 and 28. The Academy of Preachers is not a gatekeeper into Gospel preaching; we do not decide who is—or who is not—called to preach. We encourage each Young Preacher to examine his or her own heart and assess his or her individual calling. We welcome all who come testifying to a vocation as a preacher of the Gospel of God.
The Academy does not seek to influence the political, theological or denominational interests of Young Preachers. Participation is open to all denominations, genders and races: Young Preachers from Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical, Protestant, and Pentecostal traditions have been involved in our Festivals. This broad affirmation of Young Preachers allows us to host events that enrich their lives and ministries as they mix and mingle.
