# What do you think about yelling



## reformedman

I'll be very blunt.
I am not sure why some preachers do it. Why do some preachers feel compelled to yell and be charismatic and not just rely on their words? I hope I am not insulting any preachers here because I am not intending to do so but I have seen yellers look up to other preachers who are normal speakers. The normal speakers are usually very educated (M.divs, authors, or thds). 
I don't refer to the loud emphasis like RC Sproul or Piper who sometimes emphasize certain statements. I am referring to people who have a fine working audio setup and yet belt out everything to the ends of their vocal capacity. Perhaps a paragraph or two.
I can't imagine J.Edwards or J.Owen doing this.

How do you guys feel about this? Do you do it? Why? 

Whenever I have preached, I put emphasis on the applicatory notes and some key points but not to the extreme where my voice will break. Should I?

I guess I am writing this (thinking in retrospect), because I think I feel a little bit of nervouse pressure because I feel that I HAVE TO preach loud in order for it to be proper or right. Spurgeon says that if you don't have the manliness to belt it out you do not qualify, but I think he referred to the era of time before audio systems.


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## jwithnell

This is my observation as a lay-person: I think God uses the personality (as it is being sanctified!) of the person who is preaching. A quiet, scholarly type person is just as much used by God as is the charismatic (outgoing) person or the one prone to a dramatic speaking style. In any case, it is God who gives the ability to teach and preach and it is the Holy Spirit who illuminates the word. While this is not a perfect analogy, a similar situation exists in the scriptures where Paul has a style that is different from David.


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## Zenas

If I were a preacher, I would probably yell. This is not due to anything other than the fact that when I get up in front of people and I'm making a point, I get loud, real loud. In moot court, they told me I was very loud, imposing, with a strong presence. It's just what I do and I have not the slightest inkling why. At least you can't ignore me.


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## Zenas

That's because I'm not in person *yelling *at you!


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## Zenas

You'd have to enlist the help of your cuzin' for that one.


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## Barnpreacher

joshua said:


> Zenas said:
> 
> 
> 
> At least you can't ignore me.
> 
> 
> 
> Not true. With the exception of this post, I ignore you all the time.
Click to expand...




Sorry Andrew, but that was funny.


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## Barnpreacher

What you boys really need to do to end this dispute over who could take care of who is to get a Wii and box it out. Although I'm bettin' my four year old daughter could give you both a run for your money. Talk about a hit to your manliness!


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## Barnpreacher

Oh, and I'm done sidetrackin' this thread cause I'm pretty sure Josh could take care of me with or without his cuz.


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## JonathanHunt

I hate yelling in sermons when it is habitual. A favourite preacher of mine occasionally asides to himself 'Stop yelling, ****, why ya hollerin at the people?'. I understand what it is to be compelled by the word and desperate to communicate some vital point, but it really should be the exception, not the rule, otherwise style rules substance.

For example, there is a forthright style of preaching here in the UK that comes from Wales - the lilting, musical tones, and the emotion in spoonfuls, with crescendoes of noise. Some folk don't think they've heard a good sermon unless they've been shouted at, whispered at, wept at, and cajoled. I do believe that some men put on the 'act' because it brings acclaim, sadly.


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## greenbaggins

Preaching involves the whole person of the preacher. Emotions cannot be left at the door. I think there are appropriate times when the preacher should have a raised voice. Sometimes it will take that to grab the audience's attention. The Holy Spirit can use that just as He can the plain words. The Holy Spirit uses the whole preacher. However, love needs to contextualize any use of the raised voice. And the text being preached had better justify the raised voice as well. The woe passages of Matthew 23 come to mind, as well as some of the more denunciatory passages in the prophets. Yelling just to put on an act is not honoring to God, in my opinion. Yelling to manipulate people's emotions is not right either. The level of emotion should match the text.


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## Blue Tick

Generally a lot of preachers are passionate about the gospel. When the gospel is presented some tend (not all) to get emotional about the severity of the message. Sometimes this is good, sometimes it's not received to well. It kind of depends on the topic of the preaching. I’ve noticed that “yelling” should be distinguished between raising the tone of voice. At times, which has been discussed in the above messages, certain points are emphasized and the preacher’s tone is elevated. Yelling usually takes the form of showboating or beating the sheep. Raising one’s tone of voice usually is done to persuade or highlight a specific reference in the sermon. 


I like it when preachers are passionate about the gospel but not at the expense of yelling at the sheep.


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## KenPierce

IF you're not a yeller, don't yell.
NObody ought to yell like Jeremiah Wright.

But, how many REformed sermons are given as if the preacher is about as moved by his material as the man who reads the farm report on rural radio stations?

Passion, not volume, is what is lacking, men.


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## Archlute

Preachers who make a habit of yelling do so for the same reason that some squad leaders/coaches/parents consistently yell while attempting to enforce discipline - they are hoping to make up for a lack of both thoughtful discourse and respect through increase of volume. 

I don't believe that I have ever envisioned the preaching of Christ or the Apostles as including the practice of yelling, even when reading their most serious words (I don't know that Christ's throwing out of the money changers qualifies as a sermon). Possibly the only one who might fit that imagery for me would be John the baptizer.


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## Reformingstudent

What about preachers who take deep breaths before each sentence like they are hyperventilating or some thing. There's a few down here I know of that do that still. I guess it's for emphasis. Makes their message seem more important sounding.


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## MrMerlin777

Many have taken ellocution to learn how to better deliver not just a sermon but any kind of spoken material. In this day and age of sound systems that can pick up a pin dropping I'm not so sure some of the older style techniques are needed. If someone is out doors w/o a PA or in an older building that doesn't have amplification, however, I can see why some techniques could still be usefull (especially in my case, it seems as I age my hearing is not as sharp as it once was).


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## Barnpreacher

Reformingstudent said:


> What about preachers who take deep breaths before each sentence like they are hyperventilating or some thing. There's a few down here I know of that do that still. I guess it's for emphasis. Makes their message seem more important sounding.



Brother,

I would say a lot of preachers that do that have seen only that kind of preaching most of their lives. They were brought up on that style of preaching and it's all they're used too. So they take that style for themselves.


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## Leslie

This lay person as well as others that I know will get up, if necessary in the middle of the sermon, and head for the door when the preacher starts yelling. It's totally uncalled for. Passion is o.k., even with a somewhat raised voice. Yelling is not. It's rude. When a preacher yells, the content is lost.


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## Galatians220

What about a preacher who looks out over the 12 or so people in the pews for the Sunday evening service at his beautiful church and yells, "This church should be FILLED! And it's *your fault* that it's not!" -- ?

Margaret


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## Reformed Covenanter

Did they not sit to preach in the synagogues? If so, it is hard to imagine anyone yelling when sitting down.


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## Reformingstudent

Galatians220 said:


> What about a preacher who looks out over the 12 or so people in the pews for the Sunday evening service at his beautiful church and yells, "This church should be FILLED! And it's *your fault* that it's not!" -- ?
> 
> Margaret


Wow Margaret. has that happened in your church? I would feel bad and ashamed for him at the same time. I would tell him if he did that again he would lose the 12 he had now. Talk about guilt and manipulation.


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## Reformed Covenanter

Reformingstudent said:


> Galatians220 said:
> 
> 
> 
> What about a preacher who looks out over the 12 or so people in the pews for the Sunday evening service at his beautiful church and yells, "This church should be FILLED! And it's *your fault* that it's not!" -- ?
> 
> Margaret
> 
> 
> 
> Wow Margaret. has that happened in your church? I would feel bad and ashamed for him at the same time. I would tell him if he did that again he would lose the 12 he had now. Talk about guilt and manipulation.
Click to expand...


The Pastor of the church Margaret attends is an old friend of mine. It's a small world, so be careful when speaking about a particular man as his friends might take offence.


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## Reformingstudent

Daniel Ritchie said:


> Reformingstudent said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Galatians220 said:
> 
> 
> 
> What about a preacher who looks out over the 12 or so people in the pews for the Sunday evening service at his beautiful church and yells, "This church should be FILLED! And it's *your fault* that it's not!" -- ?
> 
> Margaret
> 
> 
> 
> Wow Margaret. has that happened in your church? I would feel bad and ashamed for him at the same time. I would tell him if he did that again he would lose the 12 he had now. Talk about guilt and manipulation.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> The Pastor of the church Margaret attends is an old friend of mine. It's a small world, so be careful when speaking about a particular man as his friends might take offence.
Click to expand...


Did not mean to offend you or anyone else here. Still believe it's wrong for any pastor to do that though.


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## Reformed Covenanter

Reformingstudent said:


> Daniel Ritchie said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Reformingstudent said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow Margaret. has that happened in your church? I would feel bad and ashamed for him at the same time. I would tell him if he did that again he would lose the 12 he had now. Talk about guilt and manipulation.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Pastor of the church Margaret attends is an old friend of mine. It's a small world, so be careful when speaking about a particular man as his friends might take offence.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Did not mean to offend you or anyone else here. Still believe it's wrong for any pastor to do that though.
Click to expand...


So do I, but I am just saying we need to be careful about singling out individuals.


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## Reformingstudent

Daniel Ritchie said:


> Reformingstudent said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Daniel Ritchie said:
> 
> 
> 
> The Pastor of the church Margaret attends is an old friend of mine. It's a small world, so be careful when speaking about a particular man as his friends might take offence.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Did not mean to offend you or anyone else here. Still believe it's wrong for any pastor to do that though.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> So do I, but I am just saying we need to be careful about singling out individuals.
Click to expand...


Point taken. Thank you.


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## Reformingstudent

My father in-law use to be bad about yelling in his church. Sometimes he would get worked up and start shouting and jumping at the same time. Once he jumped down off the platform from where he was to down into the front row of the church. Think he was trying to impress some of the members there. 
He's very neurotic any way so I just figured he was trying to shake things up. In the words of Barney Fife, he's a sight.


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## bookslover

Some preachers yell because they're following the rule:

"Argument weak here. Talk louder."


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## Pergamum

I know one pastor who does get worked up and yells....and it actually helps his sermon.

Usually yelling detracts from sermons, but I believe this man gets so into the Word that he is just overcome by it. He does not yell at people, but he yells his main points and is sometimes very dramatic but does not seem so for mere dramatic effect but because he truly seems moved by the Word of God. There should be passion in our preaching, of course.

He is a humble and quiet guy otherwise.


Most others, however, I think plan on using yelling as a "technique" and not letting it just happen because they believe in their own message....and so are not themselves moved by it. I have heard several pastors try to raise their voice, but they seem so unmoved by their own sermons that yelling killed any concentration on the Word at all.

I.e. there should be passion. For a select few, this passion in preaching allows one to raise their voice. All others - stay away.


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## DMcFadden

Zenas said:


> If I were a preacher, I would probably yell. This is not due to anything other than the fact that when I get up in front of people and I'm making a point, I get loud, real loud. In moot court, they told me I was very loud, imposing, with a strong presence. It's just what I do and I have not the slightest inkling why. At least you can't ignore me.



You know, you might find that 100 mg of Chlorpromazine (aka Thorazine) QID could help you with those symptoms. Who knows, in a few years, you might even be able to be mainstreamed.

Personally, I tend to be a fairly enthusiastic passionate preacher. Generally, preachers who try to imitate someone else's style tend to come off a bit off-putting. So whether Tony Campolo-esque or Edwardsian . . . better to use what the Lord has given you and try not to ape famous preachers.


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## Galatians220

Daniel Ritchie said:


> Reformingstudent said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Galatians220 said:
> 
> 
> 
> What about a preacher who looks out over the 12 or so people in the pews for the Sunday evening service at his beautiful church and yells, "This church should be FILLED! And it's *your fault* that it's not!" -- ?
> 
> Margaret
> 
> 
> 
> Wow Margaret. has that happened in your church? I would feel bad and ashamed for him at the same time. I would tell him if he did that again he would lose the 12 he had now. Talk about guilt and manipulation.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> The Pastor of the church Margaret attends is an old friend of mine. It's a small world, so be careful when speaking about a particular man as his friends might take offence.
Click to expand...

 
Daniel, the minister of whom I am speaking is NOT your old friend. (It is someone under whom I used to sit.) No, your old friend is a *fine minister,* an excellent preacher, evangelist and a man with a true pastor's heart whose preaching I am blessed to hear each Lord's Day. Our congregation may be small right now, but it continues to draw new people, and everyone who hears your friend preach tells us afterwards how blessed they were by his sermon. _I cannot even imagine him saying something like that..._

Margaret


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## reformedman

Spurgeon says that if you tell someone to turn back because the bridge is out, that they will likely travel the 2 miles to the bridge to see if it is in fact truly a danger.
But if with all your might and emotion you enthusiastically exclaim that the bridge is out, your hearer may not even allow you to finish your warning before he will turn back in approval to your words.

I am paraphrasing from memory from Spurgeon's book- "Feathers for Arrows".

I believe he meant enthusiasm toward content as I think most people on this thread have been stating. My original question was actually directed by the memory of a gentleman that I know, an itinerant preacher still studying for the pastorate who is the quietest soft spoken person you'll know but then will raise his words throughout his entire message. Sometimes there are words that he emphasizes, but the general tone of the entire message is a raised voice. We have amplification and you can tell that he is extending his vocal stregnth, not to the point of exhaustion or with my allusion of screaming your head off as if yelling but just to the point where it seems a bit uncomfortable for me to watch him as he speaks very loud throughout.
I don't think it's necessary and would actually get his message across stronger if he reduced his volume and regain his loudness where he needed to emphasize. A right balance and conservation of punch would prove for a more effective delivery in my opinion.


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## Reformed Covenanter

Galatians220 said:


> Daniel Ritchie said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Reformingstudent said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow Margaret. has that happened in your church? I would feel bad and ashamed for him at the same time. I would tell him if he did that again he would lose the 12 he had now. Talk about guilt and manipulation.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Pastor of the church Margaret attends is an old friend of mine. It's a small world, so be careful when speaking about a particular man as his friends might take offence.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Daniel, the minister of whom I am speaking is NOT your old friend. (It is someone under whom I used to sit.) No, your old friend is a *fine minister,* an excellent preacher, evangelist and a man with a true pastor's heart whose preaching I am blessed to hear each Lord's Day. Our congregation may be small right now, but it continues to draw new people, and everyone who hears your friend preach tells us afterwards how blessed they were by his sermon. _I cannot even imagine him saying something like that..._
> 
> Margaret
Click to expand...


That's okay Margaret, I thought such an approach would be somewhat out of charachter for Sean. I am glad to hear he is doing well in his new work.


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## KenPierce

I think part of the problem is definition.

Is excitement and loud volume yelling? I am thinking of the preaching of men like JR de Witt or John Piper.

Or, are we thinking of fundamentalist shrieking?


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## christiana

quote reformedman:


> Spurgeon says that if you tell someone to turn back because the bridge is out, that they will likely travel the 2 miles to the bridge to see if it is in fact truly a danger.
> But if with all your might and emotion you enthusiastically exclaim that the bridge is out, your hearer may not even allow you to finish your warning before he will turn back in approval to your words.
> 
> I am paraphrasing from memory from Spurgeon's book- "Feathers for Arrows".



 Reminds me of the tale about two fellas beside the road yelling "Turn, turn, go back, change your ways, you'll be sorry". When a car goes by they soon hear great crashing sounds and splashing when one says to the other, "Dont you think it might have been better to post a sign saying 'Bridge Out'?


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## py3ak

I think "yelling" carries a connotation of unrestrained, probably angry, volume; as such, it is different from speaking with emphasis or shouting. And there are times to shout: Christ cried out with a loud voice, and will return with a shout.


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## Galatians220

KenPierce said:


> I think part of the problem is definition.
> 
> Is excitement and loud volume yelling? I am thinking of the preaching of men like JR de Witt or John Piper.
> 
> Or, are we thinking of fundamentalist shrieking?


 
Those are not qualities of the person of whom I was speaking. Excitement is fine; loud volume is okay. Better those than a soft, dry, unengaged monotone. What I referred to above was scolding and sarcastic "do you GET IT?"-type of stuff, in a "yelling" pitch. A lot of "you must do..." and nothing of "*He* has done..." 

There's a fine, Reformed Baptist preacher near here who occasionally does yell. But his yelling is worth hearing, for he preaches the Gospel. (Ah, just maybe 3- to 4-point Calvinism, which is why we're not there anymore - but when he resorts to, _oh,_ John 6, and the way of salvation described therein, the man is an excellent expositor of the Gospel. He's on Sermonaudio.com; if anyone is interested in knowing who this is, please PM me. Of course, I'd *rather* that people ask for a link to the Sermonaudio-based sermons of our _current_ pastor; he's certainly there! ) I'm not referring to people like that Reformed Baptist preacher.

Sarcasm in the pulpit is not very _winsome,_ it must be admitted, and when it's accompanied by *yelling...* 

Margaret


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## DTK

KenPierce said:


> I think part of the problem is definition.
> 
> Is excitement and loud volume yelling? I am thinking of the preaching of men like JR de Witt or John Piper.
> 
> Or, are we thinking of fundamentalist shrieking?



I think Ken is right, that part of the problem is definition. I think that volume is important, namely (as Dabney put it) "we must so utter as to be heard," but to be careful to avoid shrill in one's tone.

Now, having had Dr. de Witt for all three semesters of systematics at RTS, it is my humble opinion that he preached systematic theology rather than simply going over his notes, for which I will always be grateful. I listened to Dr. de Witt preach in chapel many times, and there is no one whose preaching I would rather hear than his. I still chuckle with amusement and appreciation for his loathing of the word "share" ever having any place for what one does in the pulpit.

I offer this one anecdote about Dr. de Witt. I recall an occasion from seminary when Dr. R. C. Sproul was scheduled to speak in Grace Chapel on the Jackson campus of RTS (there were no other RTS campuses at the time). Well, there was an air of excitement on campus in anticipation of Dr. Sproul speaking in chapel. However, when the time for chapel was approaching that day, I noticed Dr. de Witt making his way to chapel with his robe folded over his arm, a tell-tale sign that circumstances had changed, for Dr. de Witt followed the same procedure each time he was to preach in chapel. One knew that to see Dr. de Witt with his robe in hand, he was slated to preach that day.

Well, when the student body gathered in chapel that day, sure enough, no Dr. Sproul. I forget what the providential hindrance was that prevented his arrival, but it was clear to all that he would not be the guest speaker for chapel. At the beginning of the chapel service, Dr. de Witt stood up, and uttered in words never to be forgotten by me - he said, "All of you who came to hear Dr. Sproul today may leave, and all who came to worship God may stay!" No one so much as twitched! 

As for my personal preference, I'd rather hear Dr. de Witt preach any day of the week than Dr. Sproul, but then that is another matter.

DTK


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## Galatians220

DMcFadden said:


> You know, you might find that 100 mg of Chlorpromazine (aka Thorazine) QID could help you with those symptoms. Who knows, in a few years, you might even be able to be mainstreamed.


 


Margaret


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## Gesetveemet

*What do you think about yelling?*

A dumb church thinks yelling is hard preaching when actually hard preaching is what gets at the root of the matter, *SIN*. 




.


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## Reformed Covenanter

JonathanHunt said:


> I hate yelling in sermons when it is habitual. A favourite preacher of mine occasionally asides to himself 'Stop yelling, ****, why ya hollerin at the people?'. I understand what it is to be compelled by the word and desperate to communicate some vital point, but it really should be the exception, not the rule, otherwise style rules substance.
> 
> For example, there is a forthright style of preaching here in the UK that comes from Wales - the lilting, musical tones, and the emotion in spoonfuls, with crescendoes of noise. Some folk don't think they've heard a good sermon unless they've been shouted at, whispered at, wept at, and cajoled. I do believe that some men put on the 'act' because it brings acclaim, sadly.



I recall Bawb alleging that Jonathan Hunt's preaching reminded him of Ian Paisley.


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