Actor teaches pastors how to preach
HAMILTON, ON—Professor A. J. de Visser was teaching preaching at the Theological College of the Canadian Reformed Churches when he realized one of his students had a problem with his eyebrows.
"His eyebrows would go up and down, and up and down when he preached," says de Visser, who coordinates the pastoral training program. "He didn't know how to change it."
To help combat the problem, and to teach others how to use effective mannerisms while preaching, de Visser invited actor Richard Peters to class.
Peters is founder of BrokenOpen Theatre, a professional theatre specializing in teaching Christians. Based in Toronto, BrokenOpen teaches drama workshops and operates camps for youth, church groups and aspiring actors. He also helps pastors learn techniques to improve their speaking style.
"You're not aware of faces you make while you speak or the kind of image you present to people," says de Visser. "Like your posture, or how you put emphasis on the wrong words, or funny things you do with your nose. But once you are aware of something you can start to work on it."
In the case of the student in de Visser's class, Peters physically stood beside him, and helped him hold his eyebrows in place.
"I find pastors are taught theology and doctrine really well," says Peters. "But so few seminaries teach rhetoric or oration anymore. Pastors used to retire and go into politics. Now they retire and become insurance salesmen.
"During one session with a group of pastors we were talking about how much time they work on the thought and the theology behind their sermons. I said, 'If that was the only important thing why not just write your sermon down and e-mail it to your congregation?' Some of them started to drool. I think they got really excited about the idea of just e-mailing everyone.
"If the people who are on the front lines—our key communicators—have not really been taught to communicate, then we have a problem."
A veteran stage actor, Peters has worked with Brookstone Theatre in Toronto, Stage Polaris in Edmonton and Carson Productions in Montreal among others.
"We aren't born with a manual on how to use our voices," says Peters, "so we pretty much get by through observation and experimentation. Often we pick up some bad habits along the way."
Peters finds it funny when people ask him if teaching rhetoric skills to preachers strips away the authenticity of their message.
"We rehearse in life all the time," says Peters. "I rehearsed what I was going to say to my wife when planning to ask her to marry me. Did that make my actual proposal fake? I sure hope not!
"Anytime people get in front of other people to say something, your own mind can start working against you," says Peters. "So for pastors, there are a number of ways to help them get out of their heads and into our hearts when they are preaching."
de Visser says Peters' sessions help make his students' preaching "more authentic" because they learn to be less self-conscious. The sessions also taught him practical skills to improve his own teaching voice, and how to change the "cold" image he sometimes presents while talking.
"We are responsible to put no stumbling blocks in the way of the gospel," says de Visser, "and bad preaching is a stumbling block."
"As an actor, the way I perform even simple lines can get across a wealth of information," adds Peters. "I could make my [character] sound in love, disinterested, angry or bored.
"So when we're reading Scripture, how we say what we say is going to communicate a tremendous amount as well. How are we going to make God sound?"
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
