Preaching Cohort and Learning Community
The Compelling Preaching Initiative (CPI) Preaching Cohort is a six-month formation experience for A.M.E. Zion clergy and lay leaders who seek to deepen their preaching praxis through cohort-based learning, theological reflection, and sermon practice. Participants engage together in sustained inquiry around the theology, practice, and public witness of preaching while further developing their own preaching voice and method.
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Throughout the cohort, participants take part in monthly learning sessions, preaching labs, and guided reflection designed to strengthen biblical interpretation, theological imagination, and contextual proclamation. As part of the cohort experience, preachers prepare and deliver sermons for communal feedback and develop a final sermon and manuscript that integrates liturgical tradition with contemporary concerns.
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The CPI Preaching Cohort was created to serve preachers who love proclamation, desire to grow through shared learning, and are committed to strengthening Black Methodist preaching for the church and the world. Rooted in the A.M.E. Zion tradition, the cohort centers preaching as a practice of liberation, care, and public engagement. Through this experience, participants are equipped to preach with greater clarity, courage, and faithfulness as they proclaim God’s liberative, restorative, and life-affirming gospel within their congregations and communities.
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​What to Expect
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Monthly 90-minute sessions with preaching scholars and exemplars
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Sermon labs with peer feedback
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Opportunity to develop a sermon manuscript for publishing
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Practical tools for integrating preaching into congregational life
Eligibility
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Active members of the A.M.E. Zion Church
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Exhorters, Local Preachers, Deacons, and Elders
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At least 2 years of preaching experience
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High school diploma or equivalent
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Willingness to dedicate up to 5 hours per month for six months
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Must be located in the United States of America
Additional Information
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Length of Program: 6 Months
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Anticipated Workload: Some prep work on off weeks required (+/- 3 hours per week)
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Cost: At this time, there is no cost to attend this program.
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Dates of Program: Each 90-minute session will be hosted virtually on
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April 21, 2026
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May 19, 2026
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June 16, 2026
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July 21, 2026
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August 18, 2026
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September 15, 2026
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​October 20, 2026
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Take the next step to strengthen your preaching praxis.
Course Descriptions
CPI 601 |
Foundations of Compelling Preaching
Introduces the theological, historical, and pastoral foundations of compelling preaching within the Black Methodist tradition. Participants articulate their preaching identity and establish a shared covenant for cohort learning.
CPI 604 |
Contextual and
Public Preaching
Focuses on preaching that responds to congregational realities, denominational life, and contemporary social issues. Participants practice contextual analysis and public theology through sermon development.
CPI 602 |
Preaching as Liberation and Prophetic Witness
Explores preaching as a liberative practice that engages justice, race, and public witness. Attention is given to prophetic texts, social context, and faithful risk-taking in proclamation.
CPI 605 |
Innovation in Proclamation
Engages creative, digital, and experimental approaches to preaching. Participants explore new forms, media, and methods while remaining grounded in Scripture and tradition.
CPI 603 |
Preaching as Care
and Healing
Examines trauma-informed and pastoral preaching practices that attend to grief, suffering, and communal healing. Participants develop sermons that hold lament and hope together with theological integrity.
CPI 606 |
Integrative Preaching Lab and Capstone
Culminates the cohort with sermon labs and the development of a final sermon and manuscript. Participants integrate learning from the full cohort and reflect on their growth as preachers committed to sustained, compelling proclamation.