Page 158 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

Roles of a Preacher

The images of the Korean preachers are as varied as their understanding of the ministerial

identity. The assumed role of a preacher reflects the nature of his preaching ministry. The

predominant images of a preacher in contemporary conservative, moralistic preaching are a

father, a moral teacher, or a sage who obtained the truth and expounds moral principles. The

main role of a preacher in this model is to dispense knowledge and obligate the listeners to be a

better person or to live a better life.

The principal images of a preacher in pragmatic, life-situational model are also a father, a

success consultant, or counselor. Their roles in preaching are to provide comfort for people in

difficulty, to encourage the discouraged, to furnish tips for the successful life, and to provide

counseling for a group. In the syncretistic Pentecostal preaching model, the dominant image of a

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preacher is that of a shaman. The roles of a preacher in this type of preaching are not only to
teach the ways of being blessed but also to pray for exorcism and divine healing. Preachers in

this model are expected by the people to exercise their charisma, or employ charismatic

leadership.

Congregations expect their preachers to take on these roles. Moreover, preachers are also

expected by their congregation to perform the roles of administrator, program director, and

public relationship. The society requires a preacher to take on the role of social worker. This

cumbersome bearing of role expectation causes serious confusion among Korean preachers to the

extent that they are experiencing “a professional identity crisis.”

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Eun Kim, Preaching of Transfiguration,” 67.