Homiletics: The Heart of Church Ministry and Seminary Training
Evangelical Focus has published an article under the category Biblical Preaching - Homiletics, highlighting the significance of homiletics in theological education. The author, Peter Mead, a mentor at Cor Deo and blogger at Biblical Preaching, argues for the central role of homiletics in seminary training.
Homiletics, often perceived as a mere public speaking course, is much more. Mead contends that it lies at the heart of church ministry, with the preacher's role encompassing both evangelism and edification, or soul care. This perspective challenges the common view of homiletics as a minor or token seminar.
Mead's personal experience underscores the transformative power of homiletics. It helped him see the fruit of biblical studies, making the learning process more meaningful and less daunting. This aligns with the adage 'to learn something well, you should teach it', as communicating biblical knowledge verbally to others stimulates deeper learning.
Contrary to the notion that systematic theology is the 'queen of the sciences', Mead posits that homiletics could be considered the pinnacle of pastoral and theological education. It is not merely information transfer, but focused pastoral ministry, with numerous other fields of ministry feeding into it.
Peter Mead's insights, published in Evangelical Focus, advocate for a reevaluation of homiletics' importance in theological training. Beyond public speaking, homiletics is integral to church ministry, fostering deeper learning and personal growth.
