The Academy of Preachers continues to make steady progress, and at the end of our second month, February 2009, we can report these things:
Five Young Preachers now registered for the Festival of Young Preachers in January of 2010
Seven institutions, agencies, and organizations are now official Partners with the Academy
The Endowment now totals $2,182, toward our goal of $100,000
Five guest Presenters have been secured for the first Preaching Camp this summer
A Facebook page has been launched and linked to this web site
A new design has been completed for this web site and will be published in March
Printed materials, including a poster, have been received and will be mailed this week
A Festival Steering Committee has been created and meets for the first time this week
In addition to these concrete and reportable things, good contacts have been made with schools and churches in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Louisville; visits have been made to Lindsey Wilson, Asbury, St. Meinrad, and Georgetown; other schools are on the schedule for March.
Persons from Boston to Denver, from Houston to Chicago, have called or written to express interest in the Academy and the Festival. Newspapers in Cincinnati, Nashville, Louisville and Lexington have published stories; the AP and the Religion News Service have both distributed a story nation-wide; USA Today posted a story on its web site. All of these can be accessed through our Facebook page.
We thank all of your for your enthusiasm for this project. Feel free to give us any feedback you have, including suggestions for how we can better organize and promote the Academy and the Festival. Join us in prayer for God’s leadership as we continue to make decisions, recruit partners, cultivate friends, solicit support, and plan events. It has been quite a ride so far!! Praise the Lord!!