Erica Whitaker is no stranger to the work of the Academy of Preachers. Whitaker preached at her first National Festival of Young Preachers and served as Gospel Catalyst in 2014 just before serving as a Pastoral Resident at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. She accepted the positon just after receiving her M.Div. from George W. Truett Theological Seminary, a founding partner of the AoP. In her development as a preacher, the AoP has aided her in the development of economical and concise language. “I have learned to use words wisely and sparingly,” Whitaker states, “One great phrase can be more powerful than three long paragraphs.”
It doesn’t end there, though. Whitaker and, her husband, Josh, along with their furry pets, Fred and Lucy, moved to Louisville, Kentucky last year where she began her tenure as the Senior Pastor of Buechel Park Baptist Church “It was my preaching that got me in the running to be Buechel Park’s next senior pastor,” Erica explained. A member of the search committee from the church had heard her preach at an AoP Festival of Young Preachers at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly in 2014. “Preaching is very important to Baptists,” remarked Whitaker, “and having years of preaching experience has helped me build trust and lead the congregation in my first year as their pastor.”
Since beginning her first parish as senior pastor, Whitaker has grown even more as a preacher. “Preaching once in a while is very different from preaching every week. The great aspect of preaching every week is that I don’t have to try and get all my points and theological perspectives in one sermon. My sermons are about 12 to 15 minutes long with one main movement of thought.”
Her advice to First Parish Preachers receiving their first call or appointment: “Don’t be afraid to try new things in the pulpit. Every preacher has a unique voice with a unique perspective on scripture and the church. The more authentic you are to your own voice and style, the better your preaching will be.” Whitaker admits there are times she may lean away from creativity and high energy for fear of turning off the seniors in her congregation. “I’m not fooling anyone, including myself, about how old I am,” she said. “The church has called me, a 29-year-old woman, I might as well embrace it.”