Numerous Anglo-majority preachers face the challenge of ineffectively communicating to the audience due to congregants’ ethnic and cultural diversity. Although churches in the United States respond to this heterogeneity in several ways, preaching has been largely neglected. While this multifariousness impedes message delivery, pastors and other church communicators can proactively develop practical methods to navigate the communication barrier. Brammer’s (2011) research question is what homiletical strategies contemporary preachers can utilize to overcome the inherent challenges of conversing with an ethnically diverse audience. Additionally, the author interrogates the theoretical foundations upon which the communication approaches are developed. Preclears should engage in innovative conversational techniques and offer practical examples enshrined in religious, anthropology, and historical contexts.
Ethnic diversity is a reality and a common feature across numerous settings in today’s globalized world, including the church. Brammer (2011) provides cardinal arguments and refutations to illustrate the ramifications and possible approaches to enhance communication in ethnically diverse communities. The author contends that communication and socialization challenges are inherent in heterogeneous societies. For instance, effective conveyancing of information is hampered by varying “meanings and implications of the particular ethnicity’s cultural nonverbal communication practices” (Brammer, 2011, p. 3). These disparities often foreshadow misunderstandings and frustration, and thus, the indispensability of adopting practical communication approaches in church. According to Brammer (2011), “preacher’s communication methods cannot be ignored” as they need to clearly and persuasively present their message (p. 11). The author argues that innovative conversational techniques are anthropologically, biblically, and historically appropriate. However, the author’s primary refutation is the continued existence of churches which disregard the pressure to become ethnically accommodative in their communication.
A heterogeneous congregation presents prominently remarkable challenges to the preachers and church communicators. Brammer’s (2011) article has various practical implications, particularly in enhancing homiletics and discourses in a church setting. Modern-day preachers should proactively endeavor to enrich their sermon delivery by exploiting practical techniques since they are biblically, anthropologically, and historically appropriate. However, a major critique of the work is the inference that churches which fail to adopt new approaches will imminently disappear. Additionally, the work extensively integrates perspectives and dimensions from other authors, which considerably accentuates the findings. An outstanding research question in the article is the extent to which multiethnic preaching preserves the continuity of the church and enhances the delivery of the sermon.
Reference
Brammer, B. J. (2011). Anthropological, biblical, and historical foundations for effective communication to ethnically diverse audiences in the United States with challenges and applications for the twenty-first century (Publication No. 3464010) [Doctoral dissertation, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary]. ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global.