Episcopal Preaching Foundation

The Preaching Excellence Program ("PEP") for Seminarians - Each year the organization hosts 50 promising preaching students nominated by the deans of Episcopal seminaries, local formation programs, and Anglican seminaries in Canada, to a one week residential conference with a single-minded focus on preaching. The organization underwrites 80% of the cost, with the balance funded by the student, his/her school and the diocese. The organization's focus on preaching reflects the importance of good preaching to the vitality of the church. Preaching is cited repeatedly in national surveys (Gallup, 2017 and PEW Research Center, 2016) to be the leading factor in choosing a place of worship and attending services.

The Lay Preacher Training Initiative (LPTI) - Funded by a three-year grant from Trinity Church Wall Street (2021-2023). A two-year pilot of the program was completed in six Episcopal dioceses resulting in the certification of 30 newly trained lay preachers. Experience with the pilot program indicated that the LPTI program would be more accessible in a one-year format. This modification to a one-year curriculum was made during late 2023 and the national rollout of the one-year LPTI program to all Episcopal dioceses was announced in first quarter 2024. An additional $100,000 grant was awarded by Trinity Church Wall Street to implement an effective rollout. The LPTI program draws on the organization's self-study homiletics (preaching) curriculum developed in 2020 in partnership with seminary of the southwest's Iona Collaborative, combined with the organization's faculty leadership.

Sermon Roundtable ("SRT") - Previously The Preaching Congregation, funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment, in which groups of congregants first receive instruction in the elements of sermon preparation, and go on to provide affirmative feedback to the preacher on each Sunday's sermon. Launched in 2023 to be delivered at the parish level, SRT is in the early post-launch stage and still gaining visibility in the Episcopal Church.

One-Week J-Term Preaching Intensive Programs delivered to at the seminary level. In 2024 a one-week program Preaching in the Anglican Tradition was delivered to 15 Anglican Studies seminarians at Emory University's Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. Delivered by a four-person visiting EPF faculty. A three-day preaching intensive program was delivered via Zoom to 40 members of the Anglican Deacons of Canada. With an introduction by Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, the conference featured a combination of plenary talks by leading preachers and teachers, and moderated small peer groups in which participants preach to feedback from their peers.