Contact: Cindy Getz, SermonCentral.com, 760-940-0600, support@sermoncentral.com
VISTA, Calif., November 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pastors across the U.S. and around the globe are affirming The Preacher's Pledge--a declaration of the centrality of the Bible in preaching and sermon preparation. More than 1,500 preachers from over 50 nations have already taken The Pledge, with many more affirming it every day.
The Pledge was introduced by SermonCentral.com, the world's most highly trafficked sermon website. More than 250,000 visitors come to the site each month to access over 120,000 sermons and illustrations, amounting to nearly half a million pages of online Scripture commentary.
"We introduced The Pledge because we think preachers must engage the Bible in their sermon preparation and not simply short circuit the process with someone else's study," says Ron Forseth, general editor for SermonCentral.com. "Our site is a valuable supplement--but not the primary source for a sermon. God's Word is."
Scott Evans, president of Outreach, Inc., which owns SermonCentral.com, adds, "SermonCentral.com offers an unprecedented opportunity for pastors to share their thinking on various passages of Scripture and relevant topics. We want to strengthen the quality of preaching in pulpits around the world. The Preacher's Pledge is helping do that. That's why, with every sermon on our site we encourage pastors to affirm The Pledge."
Sermon manuscript and illustration databases have been around long before the advent of the Internet. But in the cyber age, the availability of such resources is far greater and, in the case of SermonCentral.com, free. Some preachers have been known to drift from the centrality of the Bible or even plagiarize others' work. The Pledge allows preachers to make a public commitment for themselves and for their congregations.
The Preacher's Pledge was drafted by a group of Christian leaders who serve on the site's advisory council. The Pledge states:
I will make the Bible my primary resource
in sermon preparation and preaching.
I may use other resources such as commentaries and
web sites to enhance, not replace,
my personal interaction with Scripture.
As I study I will strive to accurately understand and
honestly apply God's Word, allowing Him to uniquely
proclaim His truth in a relevant way through me.
Pastors wishing to affirm The Pledge may do so by visiting: www.sermoncentral.com/pledge.
Questions or inquiries may be directed to communications coordinator Cindy Getz at support@sermoncentral.com.
