A Word to Preachers from John A. Broadus

In many ways, John A. Broadus is the father of Southern Baptist preaching. His work ‘A Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons’ is the first and foremost text on homiletics in Southern Baptist life. Broadus was a founding faculty member of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and even served as its president in the late 19th century.

While Broadus has maintained a reputation as one of the greatest preachers to have been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention, I want to focus today on a quote Broadus made about regarding another preacher. In Broadus’s book ‘Memoir of James Pettigru Boyce,’ Broadus makes a brief aside to commend the preaching of Basil Manly, Sr., another great early Southern Baptist.

Below is the quote in full:

“His preaching was always marked by deep thought and strong argument, expressed in a very clear style, and by an extraordinary earnestness and tender pathos, curiously combined with positiveness of opinion and a masterful nature. People were borne down by his passion, convinced by his arguments, melted by his tenderness, swayed by his force of will.”

So here we have one of the great preachers and educators of preachers commending in such a way the preaching of someone else. There’s a lot learn from Broadus’s actual words in evaluating Manly, Sr.’s preaching. Each preacher should strive to hit those markers, being deep in thought and strong in argument, clear, earnest, tender, passionate, convincing, and even forceful. But I want to look at the attitude behind Broadus’s comments.

I am convinced that preachers ought to be lifelong learners of preaching. In other words, no preacher has ever arrived when it comes to sermon preparation and delivery. As a preacher, you’re never too good to receive feedback and evaluation, nor are you ever learned enough to be moved by someone else’s preaching and offer them an encouraging word. Broadus was learned in the discipline of preaching, yet was moved by Manly, Sr.’s preaching. His learning did not undo his ability to be edified by another brother, and then publicly declare that edification. If you have Ph.D. in preaching, good! But do not let your education and mastery in the field undo a humble heart in being moved by other faithful expositors and setting an example in public edification and encouragement.

As preachers, we ought to heed this evaluation in our preaching, and be moved by the attitude behind it. You haven’t arrived, nor will you ever. For the time being, seek to be faithful to the text and honor other preachers like John Broadus honored Basil Manly, Sr.