Sometimes. Often they will kill the preacher. That happened a few times in the Bible.

Remember the parable of the sower and the seed. The success of the seed did not depend on the skill of the sower. And Paul seems to have made a point of not attempting to be too eloquent.

You've hit the nail on the head regarding this major difference between American and non-American seminaries. When seminaries don't train their men in the art of preaching, along with the science, and the men leave seminary with their theological systems intact, but no skill at preaching, is it any wonder that so many people/congregations don't bear fruit under it? And then they're drawn away into fads like dialogical methods or community-group only models. Maybe one day, instead of Americans going o serve in Africa, it will be African pastors called to American chuches.

Here's a good and simple study that will not take very long: Read the the "pastoral epistles" (1 Timothy through Titus), and note what Paul commands these two pastors to do. There are certainly a number of things they are commanded to do, but it comes out pretty loud and clear that preaching and teaching is primary.

Thanks for the book recommendations, but if they speak to the primacy of preaching, can you sum up the theses?

I agreed that the apostles and Paul (and Jesus) saw their aim as proclaiming the gospel. My point was that they did this in the communities, not in the assembly, in the examples you gave. Moreover, you are asking a question to which there may not be an answer: "If preaching is not primary, what is?" Maybe all of it is primary. Maybe preaching is an equal part in the puzzle.

You also said this, "The standard shape of the church is the gathering/assembly called together by, and under and for, the word of God." Really? Is that the "standard" shape of the church? What about the other 6 days of the week? Are we not the church then? We are, and living life carrying out the double-love command is every bit as much of the church as that one Sunday assembly that has turned us into consumers.

The first two questions are often asked by myself. Please allow me to refer you and other interested readers to a helpful article by Christopher Ash of the Proclamation Trust (UK) titled "How do I know if preaching is for me?" to more fully answer both questions. You can freely access/download and read this article from the following link: http://www.proctrust.org.uk/cornhill

On the third question, if your pastor desires to be a better and more faithful preacher/teacher of God's Word, may I suggest that he, with the support of your church leaders/elders, consider participating in one of Simeon Trust's workshop on biblical exposition. Many pastors have benefited from them. Information on this can be found from the following link: http://www.simeon.org/web/workshops/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=62

While separate organizations, both Simeon Trust (US) and Proclamation Trust (UK) share the common purpose to promote and train pastors/preachers/teachers in faithful biblical expository preaching and teaching. There are other helpful on-line resources on expository preaching from both organizations' websites.

I believe that both the gift of preaching/speech and the gift of God's Spirit anointing/unction are important and necessary. Again, I would commend readers to Greg Heisler's very helpful book, Spirit-Led Preaching.

Blessings.

The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1:24-29, "...for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." Paul speaks here of:
(1) his calling, and thus authority, from God - I became a minister/servant according to the stewardship from God;
(2) the primary purpose of his calling - to make the word of God fully known... proclaim (Him), warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom;
(3) the contents of his calling/message - the gospel... Christ in you, the hope of glory
(4) the audience/target of his calling - for the sake of [Christ's] body, that is, the church... was given to me for you, i.e. the church in Colossae, and also for the church in Laodicea (4:15-16);
(5) the objective of his calling - to present everyone (the church) mature in Christ; and
(6) the empowerment of his calling - with all [Christ's] energy that [He] powerfully works within me.

The standard shape of the church is the gathering/assembly called together by, and under and for, the word of God. If faithful expository preaching and teaching of the word of God is not central and primary, then what is? If the word of God and His gospel is not faithfully preached and taught in His church, how is the church to faithfully make disciples of all nations? Since when has faithful biblical preaching and teaching of the word of God in His church commanded us to only stay at "home" and not reach into the communities we are placed? And does the word of God not also instructs His church to both proclaim/preach and demonstrate/live out His very word? Again, if the faithful expository preaching and teaching of the word of God is not central and primary, what is?

Deut 4:1-10 reads, "And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. ... See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? ... Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children - how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, 'Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.' "

In addition to Piper's The Supremacy of God in Preaching (1990, 2004), I also commend readers to Christopher Ash's book - The Priority of Preaching (2009) - which provides a compelling apologetic for the primacy of expository preaching in the church based on excellent exegesis from Deuteronomy.

Blessings.