Pulpit Basic Training

The first Pulpit Etiquette post was on “Seminary did not Teach Me this..”. Well today I have another post. As I was sharing with some brothers and sisters coming into ministry we talked about the do’s and don’t about the pulpit. While I was thinking about this topic, I was reminded of a book Dr. Patricia A. Gould-Champ at STVU (The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University) had us read. The book was titled, Riding in the Second Chariot by Rev. K. Edward Copeland, J.D. The book has some good information in the chapters.

He pointed out in Chapter 2 of the book that, “There are certain items of protocol and etiquette that every minister ought to know…..it boils down to common sense”. Yes common sense. We all grew up in a home where it was expected to have the proper home training before we went to visit others. Our parents wanted to make sure we did not bring shame to them when they allowed us to visit friends and relatives. We were taught to be respectful and say “Yes/No, ma’am/sir, please, thank you, excuse me and may I. Also, when you encounter a situation your parents did not teach you, use common sense. So when we visited people would say that’s so and so child and they are so well manner and respectful.

This type of home training is applied to the pulpit from the same angel and a lot of common sense. Many people believe by growing up in church we will have all the pulpit basic training needed. Well, not true. There are some pastors and seasoned associates who will take the time to explain pulpit etiquette, but then there are those who may think you already know what to do. So before you charge into the pulpit here are some basic taken from Copeland’s book (added "her" or "she" to make gender inclusive):

How am I to conduct myself when visiting another church?

Always wait for an invitation from the minister in charge before you take a seat in the pulpit
If you are visiting another church and have not had the opportunity to speak to the pastor or the minister in charge before service begins, sit in the congregation

Always acknowledge the pastor who allows you to preach in her/his pulpit
The pastor is showing trust and confidence in you by allowing you to minister the Word to her/his congregation

Always encourage the pastor who allows you to preach in her/his pulpit
Give the pastor some encouragement publicly or privately. Send a thank you card or note to the pastor who invited you.

Always do what you have been asked to do
If asked to pray during altar call, do not sing your favorite song
If asked to read scripture, do not try to adlib or provide a mini-sermon

Always support the preacher
Good preachers support the preacher while she/he is preaching.

Always treat the pulpit area with the utmost respect
While the worship service is in progress, you should be concentrating on worship, demonstrate good posture and countenance the congregation is watching you.

Always speak audibly and distinctly
Learn how to use the microphones properly
Adjust the microphone to the proper height
Speak directly into the microphone, but do not swallow it
Listen carefully to how the microphones are set when you are in an unfamiliar setting
Keep the microphone between you and the direction you are facing while you speak


How am I to conduct myself at my home church?
Be attentive to the needs of your pastor and visiting preachers
Make sure that the preacher has the proper liquids available (an usher or pastor aid will handle this)
For the guest preacher find out before hand the prefer water temperature
Familiarize yourself with you pastor’s post-sermon routine (i.e., cape, coast or scarf around the neck) to avoid the affects of a draft after preaching. You may travel with your pastor and would be responsible
If the pastor or guest pastor needs to change out of their wet clothes after service, gently usher them to the pastor’s study

Be Punctual
Arrive to church at least 15 minutes before worship service
If running late call the church to inform the pastor
If you are late and worship started sit in the congregation not the pulpit
Be attentive to the flow of the service
Do not disrupt the flow of the service by offering unauthorized commentary or adding elements without pastoral permission

Be a catalyst for worship
Participation in the elements of worship can do a lot to set the tone in the congregation
Learn how to leave your worries, problems and negative emotions out of the pulpit
Remember the congregation watches your demeanor and your attitude

Prayerfully Support the Preacher
Preaching is hard work. The preacher is a representing God and is in constant spiritual battle. Use prayer to uplift the preacher while preaching
Whether your pastor or another associate is preaching have a guaranteed “amen” from you

Ministry Balance

In our day to day routine we are constantly busy. As women we are generally pulled into several different directions. Then when you add ministry and pastoring to the routine, things get out of balance quickly. Some of us are in full-time ministry either a pastor, chaplin, executive minister and so on. Then there's the sisters who are truly bi-vocational ministers. This group continue to hold down their full-time positions and work full-time in ministry.
We all know how it is just working a full-time job and caring for a family or going to school in the evening or the weekend.

Think back to when you were growing up and you saw your mother, grandmother, aunt or family friends always busy doing something. Cleaning the house, preparing dinner, washing clothes and the list goes on and on. Remember how you tried to help out but were told to go sit down or go outside. You knew they needed the help but they didn't want to involve other people to get the work done. Here are some quotes you might hear when trying to help:

• "If I needed help I would ask for help"
• "If you want something done right, then do it yourself"
• " You moving too slow, I'll finish it"
• "Why are you doing it that way"
• "I've been doing this before you were born"

Do I need to say more? This type of early experience have affected us today. We as women are prone to multi-tasking. Even in ministry we multi-task to the point where we do not want to delegate the work to others. Then if we do delegate the work and people are not doing it in a timely manner, we pick it back up. This is more than our cup overflowing, it is our plate is starting to crack under the pressure.

When we overload our plates things fall off. Our prayer life is shorter, we do not spend enough time in devotion with God, calendar is double and tripled booked, we become forgetful, misplaced things and we are not able to give our full attention to all the things that's important to us. We find ourselves tired, sick and maybe depressed because we try to be that SUPERWOMAN.

God is not looking for us to be Superwomen, but RevSisters who are able to give God quality time while balancing work, family, ministry and school. That quality time will start with prioritizing what is important to us. Do you know what is important to you?

When we sit down for a minute and reflect on all the people who can help us, we are better able to serve God and God's people in a more holistic way. If we continue to burn the candle at both ends as my father use to tell me, we will burnout in the middle of something. So before you get the to point of snapping at people, rolling your neck with you hands on your hip take a minute to steal away from the hectic life and find a place of peace and rest. You are the most important person to you. Take time to create the balance needed.

Preacher, how do I create balance? Well, I'm glad you ask it starts with taking care of yourself. We are always doing things for everyone else but we neglect ourselves and our health. These are the two things we need to keep healthy so that we are not physically and spiritually bankrupt.

Here are a few things you can do and you may have others you can add to the list

• Carve out a daily quiet time with God (ie. 15 minutes a day)
• Carve out a time to exercise 3-5 days a week (ie. 15-20 min walk a day)
• Carve out a weekly family time (a day or an evening with family or close friends)
• Delegate responsibility to others
• Organize and manage time (give yourself room to breath)
• Get a hobby (bowling, golfing, crossword puzzles and etc.)
• Pamper yourself (have a spa day, one day retreat and etc.)

Take time for youself and breath again. Ministry does not end when you are on empty.

Where are all the Women Preachers

The initial purpose of this blog was for Sisters in the Black Baptist Denomination due to limited resource and fellowship access with other Sisters in ministry. However, as I began discussing the concerns of SistersNMinistry I heard several Sisters say, "we need this type of fellowship and more". Therefore, this blog is a sounding board for us to express our concerns and testimonies in ministry, mentoring, providing support, encouragement and most of all just letting us be real with each other on this journey.

This fellowship is not limited to this blog. Also, I want to create a fellowship where we can meet as a group to discuss topics such as: How to create a ministry resume, What does it mean to be a Worship Leader, Where can I use my spiritual gifts in ministry, Is the pulpit for me, How can I balance Ministry, Work and Family, and etc...This is ourplace, a place where we can share notes and tips concerning our roles as pastors, teachers, chaplains, executive ministers, associate ministers and more.
I have traveled across this country and preached in so many pulpits. I connected with my sister preachers and once I return back home the e-mail would keep coming for a little while and next thing you know they are gone.

Please provide some feedback so we can make this blog a source of information. When you post your comments, give a shout out to your City and State. We want to world to know that we are proud Female Clergy of Color!

Charlotte, NC

Looking forward to hearing from you!!!

Seminary did not teach me this....

I learned a lot of things in seminary but I didn't learn this. Prior to my seminary journey my father in the ministry gave each associate a sheet a paper and he explained the major components of worship. He wanted us to be informed and not try to hijack the pulpit.

Call to Worship - Preparing the people for worship and gathering them to be on one accord
Invocation - Seeking the presence of God in the worship service. Not a time to pray for grandma, aunt, uncle, cousin, mother, father, sister and so on
Congregation Prayer or Altar Call - Public prayer on behalf of the people. There should be no "I", but we, our and us.
Offertory Prayer - A blessing for the gifts being given for the ministry of the church
Benediction - A blessing and assurance of God's continued presence for the worshippers


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