The very first Preaching magazine
interview appeared in the September-October 1986 issue, our second year of publication.
It was an interview with David Allen Hubbard, then President of Fuller Theological
Seminary. Then came interviews with Fred Craddock, John R.W. Stott, John MacArthur
. . . and the list continues.
Since
that first example nearly two decades ago, Preaching magazine has featured
interviews with most of the best-known preachers in America. The majority of
those interviews have been conducted by editor Michael Duduit, but not all of
them. In the first few years of the magazine’s existence, many of the interviews
were conducted by Associate Editor R. Albert Mohler, now President of The Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary and a widely-known evangelical author and commentator.
During his tenure as managing editor, Mark Johnson (now a Maryland pastor) did
a couple of interviews. And Jim Barnette, Minister to the University at Samford
University, led two interviews for us.
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Interview subjects are prompted for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the subject
has a book coming out, and that sets the timing. For other interviews, we just
think this particular preacher has some valuable insights other preachers would
enjoy hearing. And how do we decide what to ask? As Duduit observes, “I just
try to put myself in the position of a pastor who has been given a precious
hour of this person’s time. What would I want to learn from a gifted preacher?”
In honor of our twentieth anniversary, we’ve selected some interesting excerpts
from among the dozens of interviews that have been published in Preaching
over the past two decades. (The dates by the subject’s name refers to the date
of the issue in which the interview was first published.)
A
sermon must be biblical, but the preacher must present the biblical material
in an interesting way. Baby Boomers do not like to be bored. If they are bored,
they will tune you out, and stay tuned out. The sermon must be perceived by
Baby Boomers as relevant, so that they hear the biblical text and say, "That's
my story C it has something to do with
my life."
With
that in mind, when I step into the pulpit I may do any number of things. I may
use a first‑person monologue. I might take a rather academic approach
if the text and the issue demands it. I may use any combination of models to
fit both the audience and the message.
__________________________
Leith
Anderson is Senior Pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prarie, MN.