Young Preacher: 10 lessons I wish I’d known

Seasoned church leader and preacher Rev Nathan Turner shares some advice for young preachers starting their preaching journey

Every week, another young preacher uploads a sermon clip. A reel goes viral. A podcast gains thousands of views. I celebrate the digital age as the Gospel should be heard wherever people are listening. But a platform is not the same as a pulpit. A good media set-up can amplify your voice, but it cannot form your ministry.

I always knew I would be a preacher. I loved Sunday school and was good at Bible drills and quizzes. At 11 years old, I recall being in ‘the front room’ at my parent’s house, reading from a huge white Bible:

‘This is a true saying, If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work’ (1 Timothy 3:1).

The call to church leadership resonated with me. I was teased by my peers in Sunday school around my enthusiasm for the Bible and somehow this Scripture reading made it all worthwhile. I thought: “Well, someone has to be a pastor, so why not me?”

Sunday school success gave rise to preaching from the age of 15. When I first stepped into the pulpit, I was passionate and knew I was called to preach. With little training, I preached as the Spirit led. Thirty years later, after many sermons (good and bad), theological study and honest peer critique, here are ten lessons I wish someone had taught me when I started my preaching journey.

1. Calling needs cultivating
I sensed God’s call at 11, while reading 1 Timothy 3 in my parents’ hallowed front room. Know you are called to preach and nurture the calling into confidence that God is with you.

2. Preach with authenticity
Be yourself. Learn from others, but don’t imitate them. God has given you a unique personality, style and perspective. Let the Holy Spirit shape who you are, rather than who others expect you to be.

3. Master exegesis
Understand the context of the Scripture you preach from for the first hearers, and the meaning of the message for that time. Having a firm grasp of this will enable you to have a solid foundation to build your message on.

4. Learn hermeneutics
Once you understand the text, build a bridge between the ancient world and today’s world. Faithful preaching helps people see that Scripture still speaks to contemporary circumstances.

5. Develop your homiletics
Learn how to structure a sermon and deliver it well as a specialised speech. Acknowledge your physical presentation and be objective about its impact on your sermon.

6. Choose your sermon type

There are several types of sermon, including expository, illustrative and topical. A key one to master is the evangelistic sermon. Each sermon, regardless of the type, should have an element of gospel presentation to the unsaved.

7. Know your audience
Take the time to understand your community and learn what are the major issues they are dealing with. Effective preaching is relevant for the audience being preached to.

8. Start your sermon before you enter the pulpit
Arrive early. Greet people. Learn names and make a connection with the congregation. Ministry begins long before the first Bible verse is read.

9. Be creative
When you know your audience, you can better adapt your style to be creative in your presentation. Use a story, visual, testimony or some humour. Creativity should never distract from the message; it should enhance it.

10. Respect the clock
We should never blame “the Spirit” for poor time management. Honouring the congregation’s time is an act of care.

In my twenties, I realised passion alone wasn’t enough, so I enrolled to study theology. Doing so taught me to think more deeply about Scripture and introduced me to tools that improved my preaching.

Encouragingly, initiatives, such as the New Testament Church of God and Church of God of Prophecy partnership with St Mellitus, are investing in future leaders so that tools for ministry are introduced early. We need more churches to identify young preachers, nurture their gifts, and help fund their theological education.

The Black Pentecostal tradition has always combined spiritual passion with scholarly resistance. The next generation deserves the same investment. Our churches need preachers who are Spirit-filled, biblically rooted and culturally aware.

Young preacher, make the effort to develop your craft. Read deeply. Pray fervently. Learn continually.

REV NATHAN TURNER
Senior Pastor, New Testament Church of God, Muntz Street, Birmingham
Visit www.ntcgmuntzst.org.uk