Matthew D. Kim - Preaching to a Divided Nation: A Seven-Step Model for Promoting Reconciliation and Unity

Pastors to diverse church communities always deeply feel the tension of congregants varied backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and politics. But when our people start welcoming, loving, and serving one another across the lines of difference because of Christ, it makes living in the tension not only worthwhile but sacred. To help preachers in our role as facilitators of such communities, Kim and Hoffman have provided a wonderful field guide. I cant recommend Preaching to a Divided Nation highly enough.

Scott Sauls , senior pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church; author of A Gentle Answer and Beautiful People Dont Just Happen

An issue that matters today is our divided nation, filled with too many divided churches and divided Christians. That is clear to all. For those of us who call Jesus Christ our Lord, we also know the prayer of Jesus that they may be one (John 17:22). But how do we do this? We start with the single most influential time in the church each week: the sermon. But how do we do that practically? In Preaching to a Divided Nation , Kim and Hoffman give a useful framework to confront the division in our time with preaching grounded in the Bibles story line and founded on the redemptive work of Christ.

Ed Stetzer , Wheaton College

Preaching to a Divided Nation is a must-read for twenty-first-century Christian leaders. Kim and Hoffman offer an excellent road map for preachers, teachers, and leaders on how to use their voice, pulpit, and platform to heal our countrys divides. Get this book and read it with your church staff today!

Michelle Ami Reyes , vice president, Asian American Christian Collaborative; author of Becoming All Things

Kim and Hoffman know well the challenges facing pulpits in fostering true unity among believers. Rightly, they exhort faithful homileticians to listen to various social perspectives as a means of informing authentic Christian preaching. More now than ever, the preachers personal development as an emotionally, culturally, and historically intelligent shepherd contributes to the ability to proclaim the Scriptures in a way that makes the church a greater agent of righteousness and love in society. For the sake of the healing of divided nations everywhere, may all preachers eagerly hear this exhortation with ears of grace.

Eric C. Redmond , Moody Bible Institute

In such a polarizing and fractious time, Christian preachers need resources that bridge divides and remind us that God makes a way out of no way. Thankfully, Kim and Hoffmans timely new book gives us both. Preaching to a Divided Nation is grounded in theory, saturated with Scripture, centered on the gospel, informed by practice, and infused with hope. Job well done!

Jared E. Alcntara , Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

In a polarized and hostile political, racial, and economic context, preaching has become a challenging and delicate pastoral art. With one simple sentence or sound bite, pastors risk unintentionally dividing their flock in a way that harms not only the local church but also the soul of the pastor. Division hurts all of us. Kim and Hoffman provide a theological framework for preaching while also guiding the pastor to remember that we are but heralds, not heart changers. Weve needed a book like this for a long time now, and it comes just in time. If you want a framework for preaching that leads to reconciliation instead of division, this ones for you!

Tara Beth Leach , author of Emboldened and Radiant Church

Preaching has become something of a dreaded task. With self-appointed authorities declaring on social media what pastors should and should not addressand telling people to leave their churches if pastors dont say the supposed right thingthe pastor bears the impossible task of speaking Gods Word to a disinterested and divided world. In a day where cultural land mines abound, the preacher can either dismiss the concerns of her congregation as invalid or irrelevant or become a prisoner to the narratives and perspectives of the moment. Kim and Hoffman give us a better way. They excavate a treasury of theological resources to address the chief causes of division and map the terrain of our cultural dynamics and historical context. They teach us to become aware of our own lens as preachers and to rely on the Spirit to breathe the Word of God to the people of God. The result is a stunning, scholarly, current, and critical guide for preachers to take seriously the complexity of preaching in a rapidly changing world.

Glenn Packiam , lead pastor, New Life Downtown; author of The Resilient Pastor

Our world is divided, our rhythms are disrupted, and the church is distracted. Nothing has more potential to unify us than the life-changing message of the gospel. Kim and Hoffmans approach to preaching is practical and attainable. Im grateful for their effort in training pastors to bring the redemptive power of the gospel in relevant ways to their communities.

Scott Ridout , president, Converge