Wednesday, June 24, witnessed the second of four national Festivals of Young Preachers sponsored by four difference denominations or traditions. This one by the North American Christian Convention, which includes Churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches.
It is called: Next Gen Preacher Search.
Hundreds of young preachers submitted short sermon videos last fall; 40 (including 6 women) were selected to attend regional competitions; and now 4 preached at the national gathering this week.
Jack Allen, Mitch East, Alex Jamerison, and Zane Witcher preached on the plenary platform Wednesday, June 24. Zane preached at the AoP Texas Regional Festival of Young Preachers, hosted by Abilene Christian University, in the fall of 2014. He is second from right in the picture to the left and featured in the picture below.
Lead organizer for this preaching event is Pepperdine University. Sponsors include AoP Partners Milligan College, Abilene Christian University, and Johnson University.
While AoP was not consulted in the planning and implementation of this focus on Young Preachers, many of the schools, churches, and Young Preachers of the North American Christian Convention have been heavily involved in our Festivals from the very beginning, including Cincinnati Christian University, Johnson University, Abilene Christian University, and Milligan College.
We applaud this focus on Young Preachers, and we commend the the North American Christian Convention and anticipate providing support and encouragement to them. My associate Wyndee Holbrook was on site during this Next Gen Preacher Search Wednesday and presented to each of these four finalist full scholarships for the National or Regional Festival of Young Preachers. See picture above.
The National Festival is January 2-5, 2016, in Lexington, Kentucky.
Zane Witcher, preaching at the NACC Next Gen Preacher Search
It is our conviction and policy that every regional and national gathering of denominations, associations, and/or conventions will be enriched and strengthened by hosting a Festival of Young Preachers. We at the Academy of Preachers are ready and eager to assist and advise to this end. Contact us with your questions and requests.
To highlight this Next Gen Preacher Search of the North American Christian Convention, we have uploaded to our Featured Video platform 4 sermons from Young Preachers in this tradition.
Donald Clinton, AoP’14, was a student at Cincinnati Christian University when he came to Indianapolis to preaching the 2014 National Festival, when the preaching theme was QUESTIONS OF THE SOUL.
Tanner Williams, AoP’14, was a student at University of the Cumberlands when he attended the 2014 National Festival of Young Preachers in Indianapolis.
Tiffany Sartain, AoP’13, came from Emmanuel Christian Seminary to Atlanta for the 2013 National Festival of Young Preachers. Her preaching theme was GOSPEL AND THE CITY.
Robert Frisone, AoP’13, was a student at PointU in Georgia and came to Atlanta to preach in the 2013 National Festival of Young Preachers.