Daniel Baker, James Henley Thornwell, Benjamin Morgan Palmer and John Girardeau. All well known preachers and evangelists of the South with reputations for evangelistic power. What differed in their lives and preaching from those among us today who seem to lack such evangelistic power?

For one thing, they all preached Christ and Him crucified, over and over again. Not unusual? Well it is when you add that their lives were focused on the same message, and not connections, popularity and the applause of men. More than that, the attention of their congregations was held by deep trains of thought that required – wait for it –deep thinking on the part of the hearer.

That’s right. In those days, the congregations were not ‘dumbed down’ to be entertained with frivolities, things that have conditioned our societies through the mediums of television and movies, among others. No, there was deep and continuous thought both required and involved, and that is sadly lacking among preachers of today.

With these men, there were solid, deeply thought out and well presented content that required the attention of the hearer in order to follow the train of thought.

But there is more than that. There is an absence of focus on self in these men who proclaimed Christ, something else sadly lacking in our day.

Douglas Kelly, in his book Preachers With Power makes note of such differences. Here is one example given by Kelly in the life of Daniel Baker:

“Daniel Baker was once called by a pulpit vacancy committee in Washington, D.C. Although connected with the congregation, but not an official member of the committee, Andrew Jackson, the President of the United States, sent word to Baker that he hoped he would come as the pastor, for he highly regarded his life and preaching. But in all the sermons of Baker, where do you once find him referring to his connection with the president? Undoubtedly a widespread knowledge of this relationship would have been impressive to people and flattering to the preacher/evangelist. But the focus of his heart was on a relationship that he felt was far more impressive and significant for himself and for the public: a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he had nether time nor inclination to share with congregations what presidents and governors thought of him. This wise man knew that it was the work of a lifetime to attend to ‘the one thing necessary.’ hence, the focus of his preaching never veered from the Christ of the Scriptures.”

- Douglas Kelly, Preachers With Power: Four Stalwarts of the South, p. 174

Related articles

• The Divine in Preaching (challies.com)