We are sending out an important call to the churches of these lands to gather preachers (specifically) as God has never yet sent revival to a nation without first dealing with, preparing and moulding preachers who then moulded the church in readiness for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of the preacher. A dying church will downgrade the preacher and his preaching. We know that we are in trouble when theatrics replace preaching and counselling replaces deliverance. It is a terrible sign when Bible colleges put more emphasis on music and musicians than on preaching and preachers. God’s remedy for such conditions has always been a preacher, a man of God.
All it takes to be a preacher is a sermon, but to be a man of God requires an altar. The preacher’s most important function is to ascertain what the Lord would have him to say, then speak it distinctly, simply, and lovingly, whether men will hear or not.
Preaching is one of the greatest instruments in stirring human minds, and of moulding society. Preaching will be powerless except in proportion as it relates to and exalts Christ. We have a distinct gospel to proclaim, and if we are faithful to our calling that gospel will prove to be the great power of God to change our nations again. Jesus was both the text and the sermon, the doctrine and the exemplification, we also must be the same.
No promise is given to genius of learning in the matter of expounding God’s Word, but great and exceeding promises are given to men who will walk humbly and holy before their God. Every preacher is an errand bearer; he has to tell what he has been told. Such a preacher is different from all other vocations because God inspires and sends him.
We call on all preachers, whether Pastors or missionaries, young or old, long in ministry or preparing to go into ministry, whether tired in the fight or full and zealous in the fight, all are welcome to gather in for this convention time that we believe will be a new beginning for many ministries.