Introducing the Guest Speaker

How should he be treated, and how should he be introduced?

Theodore Carcich, Vice-President, General Conference

Occasionally a guest speaker is invited to speak at some church or conference gathering. How should he be treated, and how should he be introduced?

First of all, the speaker should have prior informa­tion as to the nature of the meeting and what is expected of him. He should also know the time and place of the meeting. If he arrives by train, plane, or bus, someone should meet him and provide transporta­tion to the church or campground. Should overnight accommodations be necessary, care should be exercised that he does not stay with some family that delights in "talking his ears off" into the wee hours of the morning. There is no surer way of present­ing a washed-out preacher at the next day's service.

The service itself should be well organ­ized in advance. It is disconcerting for the speaker to arrive on time only to discover that the meeting is disorganized, the presiding officer unable to find those who are to assist in the service, the rostrum chairs are not in place, the auditorium not heated or ventilated, and the choir late in taking its place in the choir loft.

Worse still, while the pastor or presiding officer rushes around trying to bring order out of chaos, someone with an ax to grind belabors the speaker with some real or im­aginary grievance. All this tends to make the guest frayed and worn before he speaks, often resulting in a flat and insipid presen­tation. This frustrating experience can be avoided by careful preparation and organ­ization.

In presenting the guest the chairman of the meeting should make sure that he has the proper facts about the speaker. At times it is better to place such facts in the church bulletin. In either case, the facts should be accurate. A few well-chosen state­ments are sufficient. Every book written, every degree obtained, and every office held need not be listed. If the guest did not have the necessary qualifications, he would not be there to speak.

Care should be taken in relating anec­dotes, especially those involving the speaker. Many times such are not appropri­ate to the theme, the occasion, or the speaker. The one introducing the speaker can be pleasant without palaver, brief with­out disrespect.

The speaker's time should be protected. It is unfair to him and the audience when a long session precedes the address. What speaker has not watched the clock tick off the best part of a speaking hour while lis­tening to a prolonged musical program or lengthy announcements. Equally frustrat­ing and destructive of a speaker's time at camp meetings are the blow-by-blow in­structions on how to take care of tents in a storm or how to find lost children.

It is agonizing for a speaker to hear the chairman say: "I am sorry that we have used up so much time discussing these items, but we want our speaker to feel at ease and take all the time he needs to pre­sent his subject. Ladies and gentlemen, I take pleasure in presenting . . ." By this time the audience is tired, the children are fidgety, and infants are crying for their din­ner. Upon being presented so late the speaker is tempted to simply say, "My ad­dress for this morning is 6840 Eastern Avenue, Washington, D.C.," and sit down!

A person is invited to speak because, it is assumed, he has something to say. That opportunity should be granted him with­out his laboring under pressure of time and tiredness of mind. Then what is said can be received with alertness and prove to be a blessing. No one should rob the audience of the latter.


Ministry reserves the right to approve, disapprove, and delete comments at our discretion and will not be able to respond to inquiries about these comments. Please ensure that your words are respectful, courteous, and relevant.

comments powered by Disqus

Theodore Carcich, Vice-President, General Conference

November 1963

Download PDF
Ministry Cover

More Articles In This Issue

The Truth that Spurred Him On

The personal testimony of the founder of the China Inland Mission

Ingathering--Methods and Motives

Is there a pastor who has ever been in­volved in what developed into the greatest single concerted endeavor of the church, who has not given some serious reflection to some of the motives and methods used to achieve the Ingathering financial goal?

Administrators and Effective Preaching

What do you do when someone informs you that your preaching has declined?

The History of the Evolutionary Concept

The various theories of ev­olution held by the West­ern world have been attempts to solve the problem of life.

Salvation Planned Before Creation

The great Sacrifice was provided in the plan of the Eternal for the salvation of mankind even before man's creation.

Does "Anti" in the New Testament mean "Against"?

What is the basic meaning of this term?

Church Qualifications for Proper Fund Raising

The raising of funds is a major problem in the church.

Steps to Success

Here is practical advice from a busy preacher in a large church. Things old and new, and forgotten things, are here set forth succinctly for busy men and women.

Colporteuring Even Unto Death

A story of dedication that has a New Testament flavor.

The Untapped Source of Power in the Church

Is it for the good of the churches that the ministry is becoming entrenched, and somewhat lacking in time for direct evangelism? Should the minister become a full-time counselor and church-activities organizer?

View All Issue Contents

Digital delivery

If you're a print subscriber, we'll complement your print copy of Ministry with an electronic version.

Sign up
Advertisement - RevivalandReformation 300x250

Recent issues

See All