Introduction
f f f f f f f f f The purpose of this Discussion Board is to identify how four different
preachers relate to one of the aspects of the first six steps in McDill’s model.
Charles Spurgeon
f f f f f f f f f Charles Spurgeon is known as the Prince of Preachers and lived in
England between 1834 and 1892.[1] Spurgeon believed that preaching was a gift
and that a person should not undertake this ministry unless truly called with the
gift of preaching God’s Word.[2] According to A Legacy of Preaching, “Spurgeon
looked on expository preaching as ‘the great need of the day, its best protection
against rising errors, and its surest means of spiritual edification.’”[3] Spurgeon’s
philosophy on expository preaching correlates with Skill One: Diagramming the
Text Structure. This skill helps a preacher break down the scripture and analyze
the purpose and connections between the text.[4] Spurgeon would have dived
deep into the scripture in this way.
Robert Murray M’Cheyne
f f f f f f f f f Robert Murray M’Cheyne became a Christian after the tragic death of his
brother.[5] According to A Legacy of Preaching, “After brief exegetical comments,
M’Cheyne stated his main doctrine and then wove his subsequent exposition into
extended exhortations and applications.”[6] M’Cheyne’s preaching theology
connects to Skill Five: Bridging from Text to Sermon. This skill has a preacher
connecting what is written in scripture to a present-day application.[7] M’Cheyne
also focused on application of faith.
George Liele
f f f f f f f f f George Liele was a former slave who planed churches in Jamaica as
the first American Baptist missionary.[8]Liele’s style of preaching included strong
biblical content, it had a poetic flair, appealed to emotions, and respect for
ministerial authority.[9] Skill Four: Naming the Text Idea is referred to as “the skill
of the craftsman.”[10] Liele would take the scripture and word it in a way that
made God’s Word come alive and become a grand guide for the lives of the new
believers.
B.H. Carroll
f f f f f f f f f B.H. Carroll lived between 1843 and 1914, and he is “best known as the
founder of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.”[11] According to A
Legacy of Preaching, “Carroll’s primary interest in every sermon was that his
listener come to a proper understanding of the biblical text in its original
context.”[12] Carroll would dive into the meaning of the scripture with multiple
biblical texts as a reference guide.[13] Carroll’s theology of preaching connects to
Skill Two: Noting the Text Details and diving into the details of the text.[14]
Carroll would have used the resources available to research different levels of
meaning in the scripture.
[1] Thomas J. Nettles, “Charles Haddon Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers” in A
Legacy of Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the Present Day, Benjamin K.
Forrest, Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2018), 102.
[2] Ibid., 109.
[3] Ibid., 112.
[4] Wayne McDill, 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching, 2nd Ed. (Austin, TX:
WORDsearch, 2013), 24
[5] Jordan Mark Stone, “Robert Murray M’Cheyne: Preaching the Love of God in
Jesus Christ” in A Legacy of Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the Present
Day, Benjamin K. Forrest, Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 52.
[6] Ibid., 60.
[7] McDill, 12 Essential Skills, 88.
[8] Terriel Byrd, “George Liele: Former Slave and First American Baptist
Missionary” in A Legacy of Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the Present
Day, Benjamin K. Forrest, Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 147.
[9] Ibid., 157.
[10] McDill, 12 Essential Skills, 74.
[11] Robert Matz and Jerry Sutton, “B.H. Carroll: Preaching Sermons Saturated
with Scripture” in A Legacy of Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the Present
Day, Benjamin K. Forrest, Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 257.
[12] Ibid., 264.
[13] Ibid., 263.
[14] McDill, 12 Essential Skills, 37.
