Louisville, Kentucky is the home-base of the Academy of Preachers; it could have been Chicago, or Washington DC, or even Lexington: but it is Louisville. This destined-to-be-national and ecumenical network of young preachers has its epicenter right here in Louisville.
But Louisville needs to rise to the occasion, appreciate what it has, roll out the red carpet, get connected with the Academy: or so it seems to me.
Some things are stirring: Yesterday a staff member at the Presbyterian Church USA, whose headquarters is in Louisville, said she is presenting the Academy to their entire staff and requesting the church become a Founding Partner. A pastor across the river in southern Indiana is leading his church to become a Founding Partner, to authorize him to be a convener at the Festival, and to underwrite the Festival fees of 7 young preachers in his church. A Southern Seminary student sat with me and my father at the on-campus coffee shop and talked like he intended to register for the Festival. The Southeast Outlook, the widely-read weekly newspaper of Southeast Christian Church, is scheduled to publish a feature article about the Academy and the Festival this week. And a Methodist minister’s wife called to volunteer to help staff the Festival.
All of this is good news, and there surely is more on the way. But what we really need from Louisville is young preachers registering for the Festival. It would be a shame if Lexington, Nashville, or far-away Atlanta were to send more young preachers to the Louisville Festival than the home town itself; why, it is possible that even Campbellsville and environs might end up with more young preachers than Louisville!
With the largest seminaries in the region and the largest congregations in the region it does not make sense that Louisville would ignore this opportunity and turn an indifferent eye to such a terrific event.So pastors, preachers, professors, and presidents of Louisville, here is a shout-out to you: WAKE UP. GET ON BOARD. JOIN THE BAND. SOUND THE ALARM. RAISE THE FLAG. STIR THE WATERS. DO THE JOB. This Academy is good for business: church business, seminary business, gospel business, bible business, your business, our business, God’s business.
Louisville: put your best foot forward, because the Word says: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” (Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15)