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Baylor University: 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world

rlvaughn

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The 12 individuals named as the most effective preachers in the English-speaking world, according to George W. Truett Theological Seminary's national survey are:

Survey Results
 

PastoralMusings

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How does one judge the effectiveness of preaching? Much of what is accomplished through our preaching will not be seen in this life. Spiritual work is invisible, though there are often visible results.
Methinks this survey is somewhat foolish. Furthermore, why does John MacArthur not appear in the list? That is incomprehensible.
 

Baptist Believer

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The list should be named, "the finest well-known biblical orators in U.S. Christendom."
 
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rlvaughn

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How does one judge the effectiveness of preaching? Much of what is accomplished through our preaching will not be seen in this life. Spiritual work is invisible, though there are often visible results.
Methinks this survey is somewhat foolish. Furthermore, why does John MacArthur not appear in the list? That is incomprehensible.
The effectiveness of preaching will find its true judgment before the judgement seat of Christ! I suspect the survey judged oratory, and a specific kind of oratory the judges liked, at that.
 
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rsr

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I've only heard three of them (all on the radio). I do like Begg (maybe it's the Glaswegian accent) and Tony Evans. I used to listen to Swindoll on occasion, but he's not on my list of favorites.
 

Baptist Believer

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I've only heard three of them (all on the radio). I do like Begg (maybe it's the Glaswegian accent) and Tony Evans. I used to listen to Swindoll on occasion, but he's not on my list of favorites.
I've heard four of them, Swindoll (in person and on the radio), Andy Stanley (podcast/YouTube), Begg (radio), and Gregory (in person). I actually know Gregory personally. We were in the same orbits with mutual friends from 1990 to 2003.
 
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PastoralMusings

Active Member
The one making the list will probably be shocked when Christ adjudges some obscure hick preacher who stuck with the same bunch of sinful, contentious folks for decades as more effective than all on the above list.
Effectiveness is tied neither to oratory nor audience size alone. Faithfulness is what matters in the end.
 

church mouse guy

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I cannot endure women preachers. Andy Stanley is becoming notorious. I like Swindoll but I lost track of him. Nowadays, I am listening to Young Earth Creationists (YECs), as I found visiting the Ark Encounter in Kentucky to be a mountaintop experience for me myself personally.
 

Calminian

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Effective at what? Some of them down
I cannot endure women preachers. Andy Stanley is becoming notorious. I like Swindoll but I lost track of him. Nowadays, I am listening to Young Earth Creationists (YECs), as I found visiting the Ark Encounter in Kentucky to be a mountaintop experience for me myself personally.

I think it's the theological issue of our time. From the list, I know Tim Keller is one of the founding pastors of Biologos, an organization dedicated to help churches accept the theory of Evolution. John Piper compromises on Genesis also holding to a modified gap theory. Andy Stanley is just out there with all kinds of strange stuff, including his belief that the Garden of Eden story could be fabricated.


I'm surprised MacArthur is not on that list. I would be curious how they determined effectiveness. MacArthur is solid on Genesis. I would think Begg is also.
 

church mouse guy

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Effective at what? Some of them down


I think it's the theological issue of our time. From the list, I know Tim Keller is one of the founding pastors of Biologos, an organization dedicated to help churches accept the theory of Evolution. John Piper compromises on Genesis also holding to a modified gap theory. Andy Stanley is just out there with all kinds of strange stuff, including his belief that the Garden of Eden story could be fabricated.


I'm surprised MacArthur is not on that list. I would be curious how they determined effectiveness. MacArthur is solid on Genesis. I would think Begg is also.

It is an important theological issue because Evolution is bad science. It was outlined by the Greeks, but they probably got it from the Hindus, making it clearly religious, clearly satanic.
 

tyndale1946

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The one making the list will probably be shocked when Christ adjudges some obscure hick preacher who stuck with the same bunch of sinful, contentious folks for decades as more effective than all on the above list.
Effectiveness is tied neither to oratory nor audience size alone. Faithfulness is what matters in the end.

Through over 50 years of trying to serve the Lord I've heard many preachers who fit that bill... They never wrote a book or were on TV... Most were obscure hick preachers who feed the flock of God... And could they preach!... Brother Glen:)
 

FriendofSpurgeon

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If you read the results, you see that while Baylor/Truett produced the survey, they were not the ones who did the scoring. According to the Baptist Standard --

"Preaching experts in the Academy of Homiletics and the Evangelical Homiletics Society judged how much nominees’ preaching matched criteria that included their selection of biblical texts, the relevance of their sermons and their ability to deliver them in language people can understand."

You can read the whole article at the following web site: www.baptiststandard.com/news/texas/baylor-survey-names-dozen-preachers-effective/.

Personally, I prefer Piper, Keller and Swindoll.
 

Salty

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The link stated how some of the churches began with just a few folks and now membership is now in the Thousands. My Bible tells me that missions begins in "Jerusalem" I wonder how many mission churches have been started by these large churches. Often, many members live 50 + miles away. How can they be effective in a "local church" when they live so far away?
 

Calminian

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The link stated how some of the churches began with just a few folks and now membership is now in the Thousands. My Bible tells me that missions begins in "Jerusalem" I wonder how many mission churches have been started by these large churches. Often, many members live 50 + miles away. How can they be effective in a "local church" when they live so far away?

Criteria are going to be different depending on who you ask. It's not about how many you reach it's about how many are reached with the truth. It is odd when people drive that far for a Church, but it depends on motives.
 
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