Preacher to Preacher

From Dan Copp

With this issue of Preacher's Magazine we begin an important leadership transition with David Busic and Jeren Rowell retiring as our editors. David and Jeren are wonderful pastoral leaders, and they have done a tremendous job providing resources through Preacher's Magazine over the past seven years. We will greatly miss their contribution to Preacher's Magazine and regularly speaking into our preaching lives. David and Jeren are our dear brothers, and we are better preachers because they made themselves available for this extra assignment.

During this important time of transition we are not looking simply for who will replace Jeren and David as our editors. Rather we are taking this opportunity to prayerfully consider how we should be moving ahead. How do we best build on the good work of the past to envision the next generation of Preacher's Magazine? Part of our consideration is listening to you. Hearing from our Preacher's Magazine audience is important to us! Included in the last issue (and in a follow-up postcard) was an invitation to participate in a survey designed to give us your input. Thank you for your response . . . over 500 surveys were received, along with a total of nearly 50 pages of comments.

As we begin reviewing the survey information we are finding valuable input that will help us shape the next generation of Preacher's Magazine. For example, the highest rated among possible topics for the next generation of Preacher's Magazine was “soul care” (spiritual formation guides and resources). You rated “soul care” a full 11 percent above the second most highly rated topic. Preacher's Magazine will certainly need to continue contributing to the nurture of the preaching life.

I also want to encourage you to visit our website www.nazarenepastor.org for additional soul care resources. You will find information about upcoming 2008 Regional Prayer Summits, a link to subscribe to our Soul Care e-mail resources (New Every Morning and Iron Sharpens Iron), a listing of retreat centers and other resources. Let’s continue to be reminded that personal soul care is central to the preaching life!

Our preaching resources for Advent/Christmas 2007-08 come from Dr. Dwight Gunter and Rev. Brent Peterson. Dwight is serving as Senior Pastor for Trevecca Community Church of the Nazarene on the campus of Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. Brent is a new faculty member at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, and is completing his PhD from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. Enjoy the privilege of preaching during this Advent/ Christmas season!