"I don't care if I ever hear another sermon," one middle-age person, a Christian, said to Michael, as reported in the book. Many people share this disinterest in preaching, largely because the sermon often says little and says it in a dull and trivial way.

Preaching can rescue the church from obsolescence and self-obsession. Preaching can take the church where it needs to be: following Jesus, declaring gospel, serving the world, resisting all empires but the rule of God.

If preaching is good, intelligent, passionate, and full of a moral vision of human life on earth, it will function as a transformational power in congregations, communities, nations, and the world. It is one vehicle by which God is making a difference in the world today. It is one way in which Jesus Christ is present among the people.

This gospel preaching is the calling that many young preachers have embraced. We at the Academy of Preachers are gathering support from all quarters to inspire and encourage these young preachers. It has the potential to change the course of the American Christian community.