Funded by the Lilly Endowment and Vanderbilt Divinity School, this program is established in honor of David Buttrick, whose teaching career at Vanderbilt was dedicated to excellence in preaching. The program was created by Dale P. Andrews and John S. McClure, who piloted the approach several years ago as a “homiletic supervision” program, honing the teaching method and model.
The goal of the program is singular: To train and certify preaching coaches who are skilled in running small peer-groups focused on the practice of preaching.
ON-SITE TRAINING FACILITIES
To serve our program and learning methods, Vanderbilt Divinity School has built the new, multi-room David G. Buttrick Homiletics Lab
This lab includes:
A seminar room equipped with video cameras and media aids where peer-groups meet as coaches are trained. This room also functions as an observation room where faculty and other coaches-in-training convene during training sessions and observe/review on a flat screen what is transpiring during coaching sessions. Much of the laboratory supervision and learning are done using this “fish-bowl” method
- Seminar/Observation Room
A seminar room designed for didactics on homiletic method, group process, and the art of peer-coaching, equipped also for video recording of preaching and one-on-one coaching training.
- Seminar Room
An office and monitor station for reviewing sermon and training session recordings.
- Monitor Room
