Preachers and Their Critics

You'll build a great church, pastor, if you ever learn how to communicate.

Listening to that sermon was like drinking from a fire hydrant.

I'm so disappointed! I wanted you to give God all the glory. And you missed it!

Your preaching is too intellectual.

Your preaching is too practical.

You don't talk enough about social justice.

You talk about social justice too much.

Your preaching is over people's heads.

Your preaching isn't deep enough. Give us meat, not milk. 

I have heard all these statements, or at least these sentiments, about my preaching. Some have fallen asleep during my preaching. One woman shook her head in disagreement as I taught on election, while others have argued with me while I was still in the pulpit. I've had folks corner me after church to debate theology. Second-hand reports have informed me of church members who weren't getting anything from my preaching. One guy said he felt like he was sitting in class (too many points, I suppose). Others have graciously and gently met with me face to face to confess that they were not being fed.

Some of these criticisms surprised me. Some felt unfair. A few hurt. Some were well-deserved (especially the "fire hydrant" comment). Occasionally they roll off, but the fact I remember so many of them proves they stick. Every experienced preacher could add to the list. Personal criticism is one of the job hazards of Christian ministry.

It's also one of the great benefits. Preachers need and value feedback. And we need more than just the compliments (though we appreciate those, too). There are no perfect preachers. We all need iron-sharpening dialogue with hearers about both our content and delivery. So don't read this article as a whining complaint from a beleaguered pastor who can't take it anymore. I don't want people in my congregation to stop giving critical feedback for fear of bruising my ego.    Continue at Brian Hedges

Why Pastors Should Value Sermon Feedback from their Wife

I don’t think anyone especially enjoys criticism. At least not initially. Pastors are no different. After all, we get our fair share, we don’t want criticism from our wives too.

Or do we?

The pastor’s wife is his closest friend. She knows his weaknesses and his strengths. Therefore, she is uniquely qualified to be the pastor’s greatest proponent as well as his best critic.

Let me get real practical and transparent. Awhile back I preached a sermon that I knew was not my best. I felt a bit disjointed and unclear. It was a homiletical dud. I knew it and so did my wife. She quietly bid her time and then I asked the dreaded question. “How do you think things went today? Was I clear?” She looked back and said, “I had a hard time tracking.” From there she gave me her thoughtful review.

At that point I didn’t want to hear it. I would have rather talked about crafts, jewelry, cloth diapers or Martha Stewart. Anything would have been better than hearing my wife land body-blow after body-blow on my freshly preached sermon.

Why was I so resistent? Because I value her opinion and I want to deliver quality sermons.

But what I missed was that this was precisely the reason why I should be listening to her in the first place! The heart is tricky and pride runs deep.

In light of this, I want to give a few reasons why pastors, particularly preaching pastors, should listen to their wife’s sermon feedback.

1. She Loves You: We forget this sometimes, especially when we are feeling so extra sensitive. The bottom line here preachers, your wife probably has your best interests in mind. She is not out to filet you, she wants you to get better. Because she loves you and wants the best for you, you owe it to her to listen to what she says. Keep Reading>>>