Videos

Conversations

Dr. Howard-John Wesley

1. A Conversation with Dr. Howard-John Wesley hosted by Dr. Frank A. Thomas
   • Profile
     • Dr. Howard-John Wesley,  pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church, Alexandria, Virginia talks all things preaching.
     • This phenomenal preacher explores his preaching mentors, preparation method, prescriptive preaching homiletic, matriculation as a PhD student in preaching, church and personal philanthropy, and much more.
     • Dr. Wesley offers insightful exposition on the art, science, and theory of African American Preaching.
   • Videos
     • Video #1
       Channel:- Frank Thomas
       Date Published:- 2019-February-8th
       Date Added:-2022-April-24th
       Link

Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson, Sr.

1. A Conversation with Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson, Sr. hosted by Dr. Frank A. Thomas
   • Profile
     • Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson talks with Dr. Frank Thomas about everything preaching, i.e. A. Louis Patterson, Bishop College, Expository Preaching, church growth, and his support for the PhD program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric
   • Videos
     • Video #1
       Channel:- Frank Thomas
       Date Published:- 2018-January-29th
       Date Added:-2022-April-24th
       Link

Transcripts

Conversations

Dr. Howard-John Wesley

A Conversation with Dr. Howard-John Wesley hosted by Dr. Frank A. Thomas

1. Middle Ground in Teaching
   • I believe it is authentic and understanding God with reason and with tradition to keep more of a holistic balance
   • So scarily I believe I’m more of a 25 25 25 25 now.
   • I believe that the scripture is the leading dominant voice in my sermon.
   • In my preparation, I bring other sources in.
   • As an example we are at Alpha Street are making a move towards inclusion.
   • A belief that sexual identity and orientation should not preclude anyone from ministry involvement.
   • It is a little bit different than opening and affirming but we like to say inclusive and welcoming.
   • A part of that discussion required us to ask how do we hear from God.
   • There are other sources and of course in the Baptist Church every wants to read the Bible.
   • And one of the things that’s been critical for me is going to acts 15 where Peter and Paul are having this debate with the elders around circumcision of Gentiles and if you read that passage correctly scripture is the last thing they begin quoting.
   • The just don’t just run to the laws of Moses.
   • Paul begins to talk about his experience with with Gentiles being converted.
   • They begin to talk about what’s practical and reasonable what is the tradition and then scripture comes in almost as the last voice
   • This is not to say that it’s a lesser voice but it is a recognition that there’s a model in scripture that says that as we discern the things of God it is not simply quoting scripture that helps us understand it.
   • There is that danger to me and I want our congregation to accept
   • Valeria Bridges
   • If God is not bigger than your bible, then your bible is God
2. Challenged
   • Challenged to understand, are your preaching gospel, or are you preaching the bible.
   • And, which one are we called to preach?
3. Dr. Reznor???
   • Starting a series on Dr. Reznor??
4. Cleophus LaRue interviewing Dr. Gardner Taylor
   • Have you struggled with sermon writing
   • Yes, I have
   • And, what I do is go visit church members in the hospital
   • Sermons are birth with interacting with people
5. Deep
   • It was once said, you cannot write a prescription without a good diagnosis
6. Best Sermon?
   • George Zimmerman acquittal
     • Elizabeth Diaz / Time Magazine
       • Called it the Best sermon I have ever heard around the George Zimmerman verdict
7. Philanthropy
   • Cases
     • The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
       • In 2015, Alfred Street Baptist Church of Alexandria, Virginia donated $1 million dollars
         Link
       • We divvied it up into three parcels; $330K each year
       • We were able to submerge it into our yearly budget and did not have to raise additional money
     • HBCU
       • Garnered so much attention Facebook became a corporate partner
       • They pledged $330,000 each year
       • We pledged 2 million each year
   • What you learn
     • Demonstrates how God works
   • Amy Lattimore

Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson, Sr.

A Conversation with Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson, Sr. hosted by Dr. Frank A. Thomas

1. Who I wanted to be like “A. Louis Patterson”
   • had such an impression “Juwanna Kaju???” who says when a boy is 12 years old
   • when a black boy is 12 years old he gets so enamored so impressed with a man that
   • he spends the rest of his life trying to be like him so I met a man when I was 18 years old heard him preach
2. Expository Writing
   • The intent is to read it out loud
   • Interpretation
   • Observation
     • I walk around the scripture
   • Application
     • I want them to apply it to their lives
   • Illustration
   • Introduction
     • Wait to the end to add my introduction
3. Books
   • Life Illustrated ( Jeffrey A. Johnson, Sr. )
4. Sermons
   • How to settle an issue
     • Jairus ( Father of a 12 years old )
5. Difficult Time
   • Church had to transition to reach a new age group
   • Relatable Words
     • Pastor Hicks
       • Preaching through a storm
6. What do you want your legacy to be
   • Caesar Clark
     • What shall I preach after 50 years
   • I was glad when they said “let us go the house of the Lord”
   • What preachers have meant to me
   • 17, 000 member
   • 80 employees
   • Countries:- Haiti
   • God has only one begotten son, and he was a preacher