Center for Excellence in Preaching Website Marks 10 Years

In August of 2005, the website for Calvin Theological Seminary’s Center for Excellence in Preaching went live. In those early days, traffic to the site was slow.

But interest in the site has grown over the years as more and more people — especially from many other denominations — have gotten familiar with the site. And this year, on the 10th anniversary of the launching the site, interest has been higher than ever.

Since January of this year, more than a half-million documents have been downloaded from the site, says Rev. Scott Hoezee, the center’s director in a video that looks at the past, present and future of the center.

“This is more than in the whole of last year because we re-designed the site in January and traffic has skyrocketed since,” said Hoezee

In April alone, he said, more than 16,000 different preachers visited the site, making a total of 27,000 visits.

“Since we have 700 or 800 preachers in the CRC, it is clear that our reach is broadly ecumenical,” said Hoezee.

Hoezee and Rev. Neal Plantinga, president emeritus of the seminary who helped to come up with the idea for the center, speak on the video in a question and answer formal moderated by Rev. John Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.

They spoke as part of the seminary’s Legacy Society Luncheon.

On the video, Plantinga says they wanted to come up with a center that provided resources and events to help preachers address “the mightiest topics human beings have ever encountered.”

They sought to create a center, he said, that provided materials for preachers who seek week in and week out to give a biblically faithful message to people who can range in age from 12 to 84.

“A bunch of us thought we could do something for the preacher by providing events that will nourish them and resources that will nourish them,” said Plantinga.