On Saturday, January 8, 2010, the preachers of the inaugural Festival of Young Preachers stood before the gathered people in St. Matthews Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky and entered into this covenant.
LEADER The purposes of God in the world have been announced and accomplished by the public preaching of the gospel. To that end God has anointed gospel preachers for service to the Christian churches and also the wider human community.
PEOPLE As the people of God we receive the good news of Jesus Christ as it is preached to us by the messengers of God. We confess that the preaching of good news has awakened in us a saving faith in God, stirred among us a passion for the mission of Christ, and ignited within us a desire to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.
LEADER It is Jesus the Christ who commanded us to preach the gospel to all people and make disciples among all nations. You have been set aside for this mission.
PREACHERS We acknowledge the call of God upon our lives and pledge to live in accordance with that call.
PEOPLE We welcome you as preachers of the good news and pledge to open our ears, our minds, and our hearts to the word that you preach.
PREACHERS We dedicate ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ, seeking opportunities for service and trusting God for every provision for the journey that lies before us.
LEADER We recognize you as the charter members of the Academy of Preachers. May God use the Academy and this festival to undergird the mission of Christ in the churches and in the world. May our good and gracious God prosper you in every way in the spiritual and theological vocation to which you have been called.
PREACHERS We thank God for the Academy of Preachers and for this Festival. We gladly enter into covenant with one another and with the Academy to further the purpose of God in the world.
EVERYONE Together we affirm the gospel of Jesus Christ, the importance of preaching, and the mission of this Academy. In this spirit and for these purposes may the blessing we receive be only and always for the glory of God and the common good.
And don’t forget to check out all the videos on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/academyofpreachers