Timothy Adkins-Jones argues that a contemporary world with decreased acceptance of institutional authority and shorter attention spans leaves preachers and congregations alike searching for ways to experience renewed engagement during the preaching moment. In response, Adkins-Jones explores a homiletical practice that expands on the history of communal preaching in the Black church tradition. He argues that exploring the depth of such communal approaches can help to quicken congregants' spiritual growth as they experience the process of co-creating the sermon with the preacher. Let the Church Say Amen! traces ways congregational involvement in the Black preaching process can be witnessed historically before, during, and after the sermon. Through its theological examination of these patterns, the book explores how Black preachers cultivate congregational participation during the conception, performance, and evaluation of the sermon in contemporary contexts. Let the Church Say Amen! engages in a generative conversation regarding the future of Black communal homiletics, including possibilities in virtual spaces, and its potential impacts in other congregational contexts.
Timothy Adkins-Jones is an assistant professor of homiletics at Union Theological Seminary and the senior pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. Adkins-Jones is joined in life and ministry by his wife, Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones, and their four children, Sofia, Ezekiel, Isabella, and Judah.
Introduction The introduction offers a historical and theological account of Black preaching as a communal process. It sets up the argument for the book, demonstrating the necessity for recovering the communal aspects of Black preaching. This chapter will offer historical examples of how the congregation has been included in shaping the sermon before, during, and after it is preached. It will also describe the shape of the book, helping the reader be prepared for its structure. Chapter 1 - Before the Sermon: Let the Griots Come This chapter reimagines the Black preacher as a griot that captures the stories of the congregation and the community. By offering background on the historical role of the griot in West African storytelling cultures, the chapter draws parallels between the role of the griot and the role of the Black preacher in their congregations. It then shifts into describing how Black preachers already incorporate the voices and stories of the congregation into their sermon creation and offer some methodologies that could expand that practice. Chapter 2: During the Sermon: Take your time, Preacher This chapter examines the complexity of the call-and-response tradition found within Black preaching. It includes a historical overview of the practice and a description of the nuances of the practice's use. The chapter also describes how preachers respond to congregational feedback, documenting specific examples of how congregational feedback modified not only the performance of the sermon but also the content of the sermon. This chapter concludes with an overview of how call and response can be implemented in other cultural contexts. Chapter 3: After the Sermon: Talk Back to the Text This chapter describes the sermon talk-back methods that exist within the Black preaching tradition. It will focus heavily on the models found at The Gathering: A womanist church, Morehouse Chapel, and post-sermon podcasts at multiple Black Churches, including mine. In addition to examining these methods, this chapter describes how these methods could be implemented in other contexts and will offer theological reflection on what can deepen the current practice of sermon talkbacks. Chapter 4: Towards a Future of Otherwise Possibilities This chapter speaks to the otherwise possibilities of communal Black preaching, explaining the importance of elevating this practice within Black congregations and beyond. It furthers the case for the necessity of elevating Black communal preaching methodologies and their contributions for other Christian congregational contexts as well. Chapter 5: Let the Church Say Amen! The final chapter gestures back to the evidence presented throughout the book and naming future research areas on Black communal homiletics, including a preliminary discussion on what communal preaching looks like in the virtual space.
