Nourishing
the Preaching Life
A Fellowship of Preachers
Saturday, October 14, 2023
10:00 am - 3:00 pM
St. JOhn's Episcopal Church
Dubuque, Iowa
Free. lUnch Provided.
Growth. Encouragement.
Fellowship.
A Fellowship of Preachers offers a day of worship, learning, and fellowship with five experienced preachers, representing five Christian traditions.
Whether you preach regularly or are just getting started, this day will deepen your understanding of preaching and nourish your spiritual life.
Schedule
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, DUBUQUE
Morning
9:30 am Check-In, Registration & Refreshments
10:00 am Welcome & Worship
Dr. Samantha Gilmore preaching
10:30 am Workshops
Afternoon
12:00 pm Lunch
12:45 pm Workshops
2:15 pm Closing Worship
Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen preaching
Preaching Workshops
The Reformation of Preaching:
What Oecolampadius and His Sermons on The First Epistle of John Offer Preachers
Rev. Dr. Timothy Slemmons
Aptly described as John Calvin’s “spiritual father,” Johannes Oecolampadius was hugely influential among the first generation of Reformers and, though later eclipsed by the Genevan Reformer, is being rediscovered today. This workshop will enumerate several lessons that preachers can draw from the Reformer of Basel, who played a particularly pivotal role in the reformation of preaching itself 500 years ago, with his Sermon on the Vernacular and his Sermons on the First Epistle of John.
I am Here in this Room: Vulnerability and the Voice of the Preacher
Dr. Samantha Gilmore
This experiential workshop will explore barriers to vulnerability and opportunities for fuller presence as preachers. Participants should come in comfortable clothing and ready for movement and play. All bodies and all voices are warmly welcomed!
Fear Not: Faith in Christ, Faithful Proclamation, and the Challenge of Nationalism
Rev. Dr. Samuel Giere
In a season when the rhetoric of fear has become commonplace in public discourse, both political and religious, this little chinwag seeks to recenter the counter-cultural nature of the proclamation of Jesus Christ and him crucified. Jesus found the folks who knew him best in grief and fear, showed up behind the closed doors of the room and of their hearts and said, “Peace be with you” (John 20). We will explore how the gospel of Jesus Christ is an antidote to the toxicity of the rhetoric of fear.
Kindling the Fire of the Heart: The Spiritual Life of the Preacher
Fr. Kevin Goodrich, O.P.
The preacher is called to proclaim the Gospel and nourish the spiritual life of others through that Gospel, but how can the preacher do that if that if their own spiritual life is not well nourished? Participants will honestly explore the pitfalls and possibilities for spiritual inspiration, sustenance, and encouragement for those tasked and called to the ministry of preaching.
Preachers and Workshop Leaders
rev. dr. Marcus allen sr.
Dr. Allen is the Pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church, Madison, WI. Dr. Allen served honorably in the United States Army for over 10 years. He completed three combat tours: two to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. Dr. Allen has received the Bronze Star Medal which is one of the highest military honors and as well as numerous other awards. He is a graduate of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University with a Masters’ of Divinity. Dr. Allen received his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Allen is the author of a new book, I Got Next: 10 Essential Lessons for Effective Pastoral Transition. He is married to the former Terra Cook and God has blessed them with three beautiful children: Alexandrea, MeKiyah and Marcus Jr. Dr. Allen has a tremendous desire for God's word coupled with a love for God's people. He is passionate about proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, making the Word of God relevant in the lives of believers, and building the Kingdom of God in the congregation and community.
Dr. Samantha gilmore
Dr. Gilmore is the Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Wartburg Theological Seminary. She previously taught homiletics at the General Theological Seminary (New York, NY) and speech communication in ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, NJ). She holds a Ph.D. in Practical Theology focusing on Homiletics, an M.Div., and an M.A. in Christian Education focusing on Spirituality and Missional Formation from Princeton Theological Seminary. As a Designated Linklater Teacher (an internationally recognized embodied voice method), Samantha taught voice and speech at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, and the Tom Todoroff Studio (New York, NY). She is developing fruitful relationships between theater and preaching to help preachers find their voices for embodied proclamation that corresponds to the freedom and abundance of the gospel. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys the sounds and smells of rain, cooking and eating new (vegan) recipes, scouting out the best coffee shops in town, and taking lazy walks with her husband Lance and their dog Driscoll.
rev. dr. kevin goodrich, O.P.
Father Goodrich is a vowed friar in the Anglican Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, a religious order in The Episcopal Church and wider Anglican Communion. He serves as the Pastor of St. John’s Church in Dubuque. He also teaches in the local pastor and Doctor of Ministry programs at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.
The Dominicans have a long tradition of itinerant preaching. Father Goodrich has preached in rural, suburban, and urban congregations across the Western world. He is a trained spiritual director and holds doctoral degrees in spirituality (DMin) and theology (PhD). He is the author and editor of several works, including: The Greatest Desire: Daily Readings with Walter Hilton (DLT, 2023).
Rev. Dr. Samuel Giere
S.D. Giere currently serves as Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. Professor Giere spent the first seventeen years of his service on the faculty at Wartburg stewarding the formation of preachers. He holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament from the University of St. Andrews.
As of the 2022-2023 academic year, he has turned his attention just a bit towards teaching and writing in hermeneutics and biblical theology having been deeply formed and informed by his years of teaching preaching. He has recently published Freedom and Imagination: Trusting in Christ in an Age of Bad Faith (Fortress Press, 2023). He enjoys spending time with family, paddling on local lakes and rivers, and playing the bagpipes.
REv. Dr. Timothy Slemmons
Timothy Matthew Slemmons is Professor of Homiletics and Worship and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.
A Presbyterian Minister, Tim has written and published across a number of genres. His publications include Groans of the Spirit: Homiletical Dialectics in an Age of Confusion (2010); Year D: A Quadrennial Supplement to the Revised Common Lectionary (2012); The Freedom of Christ: Sermons on Galatians (2015), Our Father Knows: The Prayer that Jesus Taught (2016), and The Good Confession (2020). A translator of Johannes Oecolampadius, he published Sermons on the First Epistle of John (A Handbook for the Christian Life) in 2017, and in 2022, Sown on Rock: The Sermon on the Vernacular and the Correspondence with Hedio (B&N Press).
Sponsors
Contact Information
Physical Address
Email Address
office@stjohnsdbq.org
Phone Number
(563) 556-0252
For over 175 years, people in and around Dubuque have called St. John’s their spiritual home. Founded by the famous missionary, Bishop Jackson Kemper, and a group of pioneers, the first services were held in private homes, the courthouse, and even a saloon!
The current church building dates back to 1875.
At St. John's, doubts are okay, questions are welcome. Please come as you are!
