The Lay Preacher’s Handbook:

When Charles Eldridge penned The Lay Preacher’s Handbook, there was little to no provision for training for those who did not feel called to ordination or full-time ministry, but did feel called to preach. Many who were thus called found themselves, due to geography or difficult circumstances, unable to access higher education in the ministry. Before the days of denominational home study courses few materials existed to fill the void. Eldridge (A Popular Exposition of Methodist Theology) endeavored to supply the need, using this book as a launch point for further practical study. The principles he asserts are still valid. (For example, he urges preachers to speak in English village squares. Today that would be the equivalent of leaving interstate highways and driving out into rural areas to find small towns with painfully few churches—or none at all. The principle is unchanged.) Across the nation, churches now go wanting for any preacher to answer the call and supply pulpits. For any dedicated person who is willing to answer a call to feed the flock of God, whether called to ordination or service as a lay preacher, this book is a wonderful addition to the working library. Time spent with this handy little volume will be a good investment that will pay dividends for years to come. (Trade paperback)

This Schmul Publishing Co. edition is not a scanned facsimile of a used book. It has not been “updated” or edited into modern English, punctuation or grammar, but is accurate to the author’s own style and usage. The text has been carefully proofread for accuracy and formatted for easier reading by today’s readers. Every effort has been made to prevent disordered text.