Influence

 the shape of leadership

5 Canons of Effective Pastoral Communication

A professor of communications highlights what you need to know

Joy E A Qualls on October 19, 2016

One of the privileges that I have as a professor at a Christian university is coming alongside pastors to work with them on creating an effective communication environment. In the academy and in the church, we spend a significant amount of our time speaking in front of audiences. As professional communicators, we often take for granted that we are effective speakers simply because we speak frequently.  Taking time to evaluate your public speaking provides refreshment for you as the communicator and allows you to connect with your audience.  

According to Aristotle, there are five canons of rhetoric, each of which helps us determine whether we are effective communicators. A canon is a standard of measurement, a boundary that constitutes what is in and what is out, in this case good public speaking. In what follows, I take Aristotle’s five canons and apply them to preaching.

Invention
The first canon is invention, or the art of discovery. This is the research element of effective public speaking, and it is vital for pastors who want to both connect with their audience and build credibility. Invention includes study of the Bible as the primary text, of course, but should also include a well-rounded life of the mind that includes literature, poetry, history and even popular culture. This is not just research on the subject of the upcoming sermon series, but building the life in the mind that enriches how you approach your teaching and contributes to strong, intelligent delivery. The pastor who takes time to practice good invention will be able to connect to an audience that is multi-generational, multi-ethnic and has multiple interests.  Invention reveals the depth of the speaker as much as it does the complexity of the topic being presented.

Disposition
The second canon is disposition, or the art of organization.  Pastors who take time to organize their material in an artful way allow the audience to follow along and connect to the flow of the message. Disposition begins with a clear thesis or purpose statement and every point flows from and back to that statement. You are speaking to people who have a lot on their minds and the distractions are real. A well-organized sermon will keep your audience engaged and following along with you.

You are speaking to people who have a lot on their minds and the distractions are real. A well-organized sermon will keep your audience engaged and following along with you.

Style
The third canon is style, or the art of clothing your ideas with words.  Pastors, don’t be afraid to have a broad vocabulary or to use vivid stories, metaphors and illustrations. Learning to love and appreciate language allows you to choose words that connect with the wide range of people in your audience. You need to know your congregation, but you also want to bring them along on a journey of change. One effective way to do that is to vary your language and be creative in how you present your message.

Memory
The fourth canon is memory, or the art of recall.  This is not simply the ability to remember facts or ideas, but it is putting the canon of invention into action when you are in the midst of a message. As you speak and are reading the reaction of your audience, drawing on those things that can enhance creative application allows for greater connection in real-time. 

Delivery
Finally, the fifth canon is delivery, or the art of oral presentation. This is how you present your message to your audience. Extemporaneous speaking or presentation that develops from extensive preparation, but leaves the specific words for the moment of presentation is the most natural of delivery styles. Speaking from a manuscript often takes the tone of reading your message, and memorization can sound performed. Conversational delivery connects to your audience, but in conjunction with the other four canons, it demonstrates knowledge and agility. Together, these staples will build your credibility while connecting you personally to your congregation.

Pastors, whether you think of it this way or not, you are professional public speakers. Taking time to think through these standards of effective speaking can aid in your message preparation, but it can also serve as an evaluation tool as you debrief on your service each week. Assessing how you communicate will enhance your message and, most importantly, connect you to your congregation more effectively.

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