On Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. (Los Angeles time), a preaching conference was held via Zoom. This gathering was a special occasion for those who love the Word and seek to deepen their preaching ministry. About fifteen preachers attended the event. Despite the physical limitations of an online format, participants came together to learn, share, and explore new possibilities for preaching.
The first session was led by Professor Sungwoo Cho, who spoke on “Various Preaching Forms According to Biblical Texts.” He explained how preaching can take on diverse forms depending on the literary genre of the biblical text, its historical and cultural background, the philosophical trends of the time, and the interests of the audience. Participants were able to understand the context in which different preaching forms developed and to envision how these insights might be applied in today’s preaching practice.
The second session featured Professor Sooyoung Kim, who gave an in-depth lecture on “How to Preach Narrative Biblical Texts.” He highlighted that a significant portion of the Bible is composed in narrative form and showed, with practical examples, how careful study and effective transition into preaching can bring vitality and dynamism to the sermon. Through this lecture, participants realized that narrative preaching carries a powerful capacity not only to interpret the text but also to draw the audience into the sermon itself.
This conference became more than a series of lectures; it served as an important turning point leading toward participation in the upcoming preaching workshops. Participants shared their eagerness and anticipation to develop the insights gained into practical training. In particular, the opportunity to grasp both the theoretical understanding of preaching forms and the practical possibilities of narrative preaching laid a foundation for deeper training and hands-on practice in future workshops.
Above all, the conference instilled in participants the conviction that “the path of preaching is always open to new possibilities.” Through lectures and sharing, they reaffirmed that preaching is not merely the act of delivering a message, but a transformative process that renews the biblical text, the audience, and the preacher alike. This will naturally flow into more practical and concrete preaching training in the workshops to come and, ultimately, will serve as a significant opportunity to enrich preaching ministries in each participant’s pastoral context.
