From the pulpit of Calvary Baptist Church, Olford launched a ministry that circled the globe. By radio and television he ministered to the hearts of millions around the world. His reputation as preacher, pastor and Christian statesman swept across the country. His wider ministry took him to convention and conference platforms everywhere, especially among the Southern Baptist Convention. All along the way he had an increasing burden for pastors and the need to restore expository preaching to the pulpits of our churches.

Stephen Olford was an expositor. When defining expository preaching he would quote J.I. Packer, The true idea of expository preaching is that the preacher should become the mouthpiece of the text, opening it up and applying it as the word of God to his hearers, speaking in order that the text may be heard, and making each point from his text in such a manner that the hearers may discern the voice of God.1

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However, Olford had his own working definition of expository preaching: Expository preaching is the Spirit-empowered explanation and proclamation of the text of God’s Word with due regard to the historical, contextual, grammatical and doctrinal significance of the given passage, with the specific object of invoking a Christ-transforming response.2 The reader is encouraged to note the last phrase of this definition, with the specific object of invoking a Christ-transforming response. Those who knew Stephen Olford knew that he always preached for the verdict; he called upon people to respond to God’s claims upon their lives.

Passion for exposition began in his boyhood days in Africa under the teaching of his godly missionary father. However, when he began his theological studies in London, he studied under the renowned expositor W. Graham Scroggie. Stephen Olford hardly gave a lecture on preaching without referencing Scroggie. He said Scroggie had a Golden Hammer (his way of describing how Scroggie could break open a text).

Olford taught his students the secrets he learned. Three fundamental questions must be asked of the text: 1. What is the Dominating Theme? The text can have more than one theme, but only one can be preached at a time. 2. What are the Integrating Thoughts? Outline and structure are found here. 3. What is the Motivating Thrust? The aim and purpose of the sermon are found here.

Olford was a passionate preacher, but he was also passionate about preaching. He would often say that the only thing that would ever replace preaching is greater preaching. His passion was expressed in this admonition to his students: Preaching is primary and expository preaching is paramount. And without any question, the crying need of the hour is to return to the apostolic injunction to ‘Preach the Word’ (2 Timothy 4:2).

In 1973, Stephen Olford left Calvary Baptist Church to enter a wider ministry focused on a ministry to ministers. His banner statement: Ministry to ministers is ministry to multitudes is still the theme and thrust of Olford Ministries International today. Olford devoted the rest of his life to promoting biblical exposition to the pulpits of local churches and training and equipping pastors and church leaders to lead and serve effectively.