Is Preaching Bad?

Here is an interesting document from “down under.” Well, sort of. It’s from New Zealand, by a David Allis, who makes the proposal that Christian Preaching in the western church, and in its current form, is problematic. To quote from Mr. Allis:

Preaching as it is practised in modern
churches is extra-biblical, a poor form
of communication, and creates
dependency.

He goes on to say that preaching, in the current form of sermons to people who are already Christians, originated as a form from Greek culture, not the Bible, and therefore is extra-Biblical (you know, as in "extracurricular").

How about this one, that its not an effective way to communicate:

Scientific studies of education show that passive listening leads only to a small percentage of
retention. Few people can remember a sermon the next day, week or month (often the preacher can’t remember it either). Although modern communication methods are improving through the use of visual aids, the monologue remains one of the least effective forms of communication.retention. Few people can remember a sermon the next day, week or month (often the preacher can’t remember it either). Although modern communication methods are improving through the use of visual aids, the monologue remains one of the least effective forms of communication.

Another argument: preaching as a one-way means of communication disallows discussion, debate, and clarification. Ok, I'll agree with that one.

He goes on to make additional arguments, such as that preaching fosters dependence on an individual, tends to increase Biblical illiteracy, etc., etc., blah blah blah

What he fails to note, however, is that the Christian church does not consist in solely preaching. Can one say Bible study groups, small home groups, etc.? Familylife.org's HomeBuilders?

Friend, if you are in a church where the only thing approximating what you think of as "christian" is the preaching, get out, get out now, and find a church that glorifies God and lives out the New Covenant!