“Christianity has always been somewhat of a counter-culture, which means ministers deal with difficult issues as they relate to ‘swimming against the stream,’ so to say. It is no easy task for the leaders of Christian congregations,” says Anthony Kent, who heads PREACH.

PREACH, or “Project for Reaching Every Active Clergy at Home,” is a special venture of the Ministerial Association of the Seventh-day Adventist world church. The Ministerial Association is dedicated to networking pastors across the globe and stimulating supportive dialogue among denominations. Utilizing Ministry magazine, the initiative reaches some 70,000 clergy members representing a myriad of faith persuasions.

Kent explains that many ministers around the world feel isolated in the difficult and demanding job of leading their respective congregations. They appreciate the consistent support, encouragement and other resources vital to achieving success. That’s why the Ministerial Association has organized its fifth annual Professional Growth Seminar for such ministers, to be held in Cambridge, England in April.

Held in conjunction with the International Congress on Preaching, also convening in Cambridge, the seminar will, much like Ministry, target ministers from all denominations.  Kent expects an audience in the “considerable hundreds” to congregate in Cambridge for the free event. He anticipates that a global audience of thousands more will watch the broadcast via live satellite uplink, the Hope Channel and Internet streaming.

The Congress is themed “For Such a Time as This: Preaching Truth in an Age of Idolatry,” and PREACH’s growth seminar will complement it. Kent has coordinated with Congress organizers to decide which presentations will be broadcast globally.  “We’re trying to get as international a flavor as possible this year,” notes Kent.

Kent hopes the seminar will enrich the ministry of each participant. “We’re living in a growing secular environment,” he says, “and that heightens the difficulty clergy have in reaching their respective communities. What we’re doing is offering the skills and support for ministers to manage a postmodern environment in terms of their congregations.”

Based on feedback from previous conferences, Kent says “there’s a real thrill in putting such a global program together and a real sense of satisfaction from the fact that we can make world-class speakers available to isolated pastors and congregations that otherwise wouldn’t have this sort of networking opportunity.”

For more information about the upcoming International Congress on Preaching, or to register, visit
http://www.ministerialassociation.com/preach/index.html. Following the event, the broadcast will be available on DVD.