The church is changing. The culture is shifting. Congregations have challenges at a level never witnessed before. And in the very center of it all, there is the pastor, not merely a preacher, teacher, counselor, but a multi-dimensional leader who is in a world like none that the world has ever known before. David W. Stokes brings this fact to light with exceptional clarity in his revolutionary book, From the Pulpit to a Movement, which provides pastors and leaders in the ministry with a powerful paradigm of comprehending and accepting the new role of the 21st-century pastor.
Over the years, pastors had been perceived as shepherds, soft speakers who provided comfort, compassion, and spiritual direction. Although this role is still critical, Stokes states that the modern-day pastor should also become a strategist, communicator, innovator, and movement-builder. The pressures of contemporary ministry demand more than that of shepherding individual souls; it demands the mobilization of whole congregations, towards one Spirit-directed mission. The pastor of the 21st century is not abandoning the role of a shepherd; he or she is extending it.
The message by Stokes is based on an outstanding concept in that the pulpit would no longer be merely a preaching place, but the greatest leadership arena. In a church climate in which clarity, alignment, and shared purpose are key determinant factors in church health, preaching is the weapon of most power in creating vision and motivating action. This change puts pastors in the spotlight of strategic communication, making weekly sermons long-term directions that take the congregation into the future with assurance.
Among the main themes in From the Pulpit to a Movement that we can identify is that the present-day pastor can no longer afford to ignore the need to adopt the concept of strategic preaching. Such a strategy is much greater than choosing an inspiring text or creating a touching message. Strategic preaching makes sermons consistent with the goals, vision, and direction of the church.
There are numerous leaders in the Bible who used strategic preaching before this concept was even identified by name. Moses deployed the messages of God to align Israel with the exodus. Nehemiah employed visionary communication as a means of gathering people to restore a failing city. The movements of the sermons and letters of Paul were aimed at the establishment and fortification of churches. And even Jesus Himself preached to change the thinking, to form identity, and to establish the conditions of the Kingdom. Stokes holds that when these leaders were preaching strategically, the current pastors should do the same.
The other reason why churches are in dire need of strategic preaching today is that it creates unity when times of change are being experienced. The transitional pastors, interims, and AMSs are confronted with the special problem of presiding over churches that can be in a state of division, confusion, or disillusionment. Stokes offers such a solution, preaching with purpose, preaching at the same time to spiritual needs and emotional and organizational needs. His book defines particular crisis preaching models, the revitalization preaching model, and the vision-casting preaching model that can assist congregations to heal and progress. Strategic preaching provides a sense of stability, clarity, and direction in times of uncertainty.
This change is indicative of the cultural reality that pastors currently have to deal with. The world is getting fragmented. Individuals are bombarded with information, digital noise, and flux. Churches are fighting against distractions that are innumerable to capture the hearts and attention of the members in the churches. The pastor is a voice of sanity and reality in this climate. However, clarity is not an occurrence, but it is something that is nurtured through tactical communication, deliberate planning, and leadership guided by the Spirit. Stokes assists pastors to the challenge by demonstrating how pastors can build a preaching calendar, a preaching series that fits the vision, and mobilize and engage their congregations through communication.
Yet there is also the message of empowerment as brought out by Stokes. Most pastors are tired, depressed, or unsure whether their sermons are effective. He gives them new hope: You never cease being a preacher; you only begin preaching to people with a broader scope. This mere fact challenges the pastors not to look at their vocation as diminishing, but growing. Their voice is still needed. Their leadership continues to be pertinent. Their preaching can still determine the future.