Oct. 7 ArkLaTex Lectures to Feature Rev. Dr. Paul Scott Wilson, Premier Teacher of Preachers

DALLAS (SMU) – One of this generation’s leading scholars in homiletics will be the featured speaker at the third annual ArkLaTex (Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas) Lectures in Preaching on Monday, Oct. 7 at Williams Memorial United Methodist Church in Texarkana, Texas.

Rev. Dr. Paul Scott Wilson, noted author, preacher and professor will present “Finding God in Divided Times: Renewing our Common Faith Amid an Uncivil Culture.”  The lecture is co-sponsored by Williams Memorial UMC and Perkins School of Theology’s Center for Preaching Excellence.

“Every generation has one or two truly influential scholars in the field of preaching,” said Rev. Dr. Alyce M. McKenzie, Le Van Professor of Preaching and Worship at Perkins School of Theology and Director of The Perkins Center for Preaching Excellence. “Dr. Wilson is one of the most recognized in North America. His book, The Four Pages of the Sermon, is a go-to text in preaching classes at many theological schools. This is an outstanding opportunity for clergy and laypersons to hear him speak, and his theme is a crucial one in our current context.”

Wilson will offer the keynote and workshop, “The God Centered Sermon, An Antidote to Divided Times,” from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Monday, October 7. From 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., participants may choose among several workshops related to Wilson’s topic, presented by McKenzie; Dr. O. Wesley Allen, Lois Craddock Professor of Homiletics at Perkins; and Rev. Edlen A. Cowley, Senior Pastor of Fellowship United Methodist Church in Trophy Club, Texas. Cost to attend Monday’s event is $75, with a discounted price of $25 for college and seminary students and Residents in Ministry. (Use code TEXARKANA at checkout.) 

The evening before the ArkLaTex event, Dr. Wilson will offer a free public lecture at 6 p.m. Sunday, October 6, at Williams Memorial on the topic, “A God that Unites a Culture that Divides: Renewing our Common Faith.” The event includes dinner. There is no cost, but an RSVP is required.

To register visit the website. For more information, email preaching@smu.edu or call 214- 768- 2124.

About the Speaker

Rev. Dr. Paul Scott Wilson is Professor of Homiletics at Emmanuel College of the University of Toronto.  He lectures and preaches widely in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. He is a past recipient of the United Church of Canada’s Davidson Trust Award for excellence in teaching and scholarship and a past president of the Academy of Homiletics. Dr. Wilson is a prolific author of bestselling books for preachers. His book, The Four Pages of the Sermon: A Guide to Biblical Preaching, is a bestseller and a homiletical classic. Recently updated and re-released, the book offers a weekly method of organizing the preparation and content of the sermon.

Other books include The Practice of Preaching; Broken Words: Reflections on the Craft of Preaching; God Sense: Reading the Bible for Preaching; The Imagination of the Heart: New Understandings in Preaching; Setting Words on Fire: Putting God at the Center of the Sermon; and A Concise History of Preaching. 

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Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.