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I know there is Southern Gospel. I also know there is Southern Gospel preaching. It is hard for me (especially after losing my hearing) to understand our 'penchant' for 'southern preaching'.I know people who have left a local church and have told me, The pastor is a good teacher, but he cannot preach!The hurts, because I know exactly what they are saying.I posted here how our pastor has started teaching on Wed and Sun nights. I have had several folks in conversations say how much they have learned thru the pastors teachings. I agree with them 100%.Before I lost my hearing and could watch a preacher on TV my favorite was Bro Hayford, in a teaching atmosphere. Of course Southern gospel preaching is okay for a deaf person on TV due to the professional sound crew and closed caption. OR a small church. LOLIn my opinion most of our Lord's Sermons, were in the vernacular of today, TEACHING!I have visited several churches of commenters here on Acts, the services I attended I considered teaching vs preaching, and was blessed.At my home church in NC, I have finally adjusted my hearing devices that I can understand our pastor, even when he preaches. Of course I did mess with his mind without knowing. When I adjust my devices a red light blinks above my ears for some reason and it is easily seen from 100ft. He told me it did give him cause to wonder when he noticed it in the congregation.Side note: We have enjoyed attending pretty regularly this year, but the wanderlust is raising it's head. We will start to travel soon.BUT we do need more teaching nowadays Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/

I've heard this said all of my life of various pastors. They said this of my predecessor as well. It's a shame too because he is a very sharp individual and in my estimation a great communicator. But because he didn't scream, shout, and hack he made for a lousy preacher.

I think you are right on this. But I do not see any way of knowing. But I sure wish I could KNOW! Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/

I know of a couple that wrote a letter to their pastor explaining why they were leaving the church to attend a different one across town. Their reason was their current church wasn't spiritual enough for them. Translation: their pastor was a solid Bible teacher, but not a preacher in the classic Pentecostal sense of the word. I happened to read this letter as well as the pastor's written response to them. The pastor was stunned that they did not consider the teaching of God's word to be spiritual enough for them “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

We need both.Solid sound doctrine and fervent Spirit anointed exhortation.I began a chronological study of the Bible on Wed nights a few years ago.We have made it to the 19th chapter of Judges.I will probably not live long enough to finish.Contrast that to the Classical Pentecostal preaching we heard during our recent Youth Conference.Balance!Learned that from Dr Daniel Black's Sunday School Literature many years ago Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church

I wanted to bring this back. Our pastor changed our Sunday nite service to a Sunday afternoon service 4PM for his teaching. Not long ago our services on Sun nite were 10-20 scattered over a large auditorium. COG folk have THEIR seats and ain't gonna move to a small gourp. LOLI wanted to say here that Last Sunday night we had over 50 in attendance and it all worked well. Our pastor, Danny Peterson, is doing a fantastic job teaching.We definitely need preaching, but preaching that can be understood by everyone. By understood, I mean the words of the WORD should be understood not just a running together of sentences that cannot be mentally interpreted as the train flies by. Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/

I'm smiling, we have the cutest little girl, about 12 years old. She takes notes like an adult, and after class she is always up to the pastor for one question. She is amazing.And yes, it is an amazing group average probably about 38 which isn't bad.We head south as snow birds now, and will miss our church. Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/

I read a post somewhere, maybe here, the old Actcelerate or the CPI forum. IT was about a preacher who went out into the woods to practice preaching, who accidentally left his notes. Someone found his notes and at one point in the sermon it said, Weak point. Slap pulpit and kick leg.I don't mind Southern preaching if the preacher is saying something good and edifying and the method helps deliver the message well. I do not think it is good to equate emotion with anointing. Often, 'preach' is used of words used in contexts where one is proclaiming the Gospel to those who have not believed it yet-- evangelizing. In fact, one of the words, or several of the words, translated 'preach.' is related etymologically to 'evangelize.' Occasionally, the KJV translates a word for 'teach' or 'discourse' as preach.In the Bible, I see teaching believers and proclaiming the Gospel to unbelievers. I don't see where 'preach' means 'talk loud with a lot of hype and excitement. Again, I haven't got a problem with it if it is good for communicating. Style and anointing aren't the same thing. When I went to one church when I was really small, it seemed like all the prophesying was done really loud and exuberantly. That probably had more to do with the ones prophesying than anything else. Later, I went to another church and heard reasonably loud prophesying addressed the the congregation. Later, I heard really 'read your mail' type prophesying in a very conversational tone of voice, not Southern Pentecostal at all. Words spoken very calmly can be anointed, even prophetic. I do not believe style has all that much to do with it. Peter and John were bold after having been with Jesus and having been filled with the Holy Ghost. So there may be something to be said for boldness. But boldness and a loud style aren't the same thing either. IMO, some Southern Pentecostals could benefit from some direct teaching on this subject, that loud doesn't equal anointed

Not just opening up the tops of their heads and pouring facts inside. Preaching is usually not so (amens don't count). Okay, let me take a deep breath.Preaching is the big show, the pizzaz, the flash, the explosion. That's why for years all good preaching tended to sound alike. Be honest. Our idea of good preaching was often an imitation of style rather than content. One guys slaps someone on the head, and soon everyone is doing it. One guy snots and snorts and waves his coat around, and soon we are surrounded by a plethora of imitations.Teaching style is harder to pin down. Every one of us can think of tons of preachers with their antics down through the years. But the guys we regard as great teachers of the Word are harder to account.Why? They are often fewer in number.We even have courses on how to,preach, but not how to teach.Okay....I need a cup of coffee

I must comment here. On one of our 5 or 6 trips around and across country we stopped at RR's church one Sunday morning. We still remember fondly the round table teaching/discussion on that day. It was such a breath of fresh air.Here we are talking about teaching, we will never forget the attentive listening group, it was one of those 'don't stop.' times.Thanks for that time my brother! Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/