I Heard the Preaching of the Elder

Kelly Miller Smith, Sr. is noted as preacher extraordinaire, civil rights leader, theology professor and assistant dean, and pastor. Born and raised in the all-Black town of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, Smith stands apart as one of only twelve African Americans to deliver the distinguished Lyman Beecher Lectures at Yale University and was recognized by Jet magazine as one of the most prolific preachers of the twentieth century.

In I Heard the Preaching of the Elder, Tyshawn Gardner examines Smith’s ethical development, preaching, and ministry as one of America’s most distinguished leaders and one of Christianity’s most effective gospel proclaimers. Gardner provides an in-depth analysis of the understudied profile of this pastor-activist to present Smith as a unique leader who leveraged three platforms in shepherding a city to overcome its racially unjust past. Smith’s platforms as preaching pastor of First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill (Nashville), professor and assistant dean at Vanderbilt Divinity School, and local champion of civil rights proved a rare combination and marked him as one of the nation’s most admired leaders. Smith’s ability as strategist and organizer is only eclipsed by his skillful ability to bring the Word of God to bear on social crises as a herald of the good news.

I Heard the Preaching of the Elder provides valuable insights for a new cadre of contemporary women and men emerging as Christian leaders as they prepare to carry the message of Christ from the sanctuary to the street. Gardner’s masterful narrative celebrates Smith and his distinctive preaching model, which bears striking similarities to the political and civic rhetoric of the ancient Greco-Roman rhetoricians. The homiletical innovations of Smith have broader reach and implications than the concerns of the Black church—they are contributions to the preaching task of the whole church.