Let the Legends Preach

Sermons by Living Legends at the E. K. Bailey Preaching Conference

edited by Jared E. Alcántara

foreword by Joel C. Gregory

Let the Legends Preach

Sermons by Living Legends at the E. K. Bailey Preaching Conference

Copyright © 2021 Jared E. Alcántara. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Wipf & Stock

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3

Eugene, OR 97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-7252-6689-6

hardcover isbn: 978-1-7252-6690-2

ebook isbn: 978-1-7252-6691-9

03/22/21

Table of Contents

• Title Page

• Foreword: “Let the Legends Preach”

• Editor’s Preface

• Chapter 1: Ervin Kinsley (E. K.) Bailey (1945–2003)

• Chapter 2: Caesar Arthur Walter (C. A. W.) Clark Sr. (1914–2008)

• Chapter 3: Manuel L. Scott Sr. (1926–2001)

• Chapter 4: Gardner C. Taylor (1918–2015)

• Chapter 5: Henry H. Mitchell (1919–)

• Chapter 6: Walter Kingsley (W. K.) Jackson (1914–2003)

• Chapter 7: Stephen F. Olford (1918–2004)

• Chapter 8: Edward Victor (E. V.) Hill Sr. (1933–2003)

• Chapter 9: A. Louis Patterson Jr. (1933–2014)

• Chapter 10: Clarence Booker Taliaferro (C. B. T.) Smith (1916–2009)

• Chapter 11: William J. Shaw (1934–)

• Chapter 12: James Earl Massey (1930–2018)

• Chapter 13: Haddon W. Robinson (1931–2017)

• Chapter 14: J. (James) Alfred Smith Sr. (1931–)

• Chapter 15: Willie Richardson (1939–)

• Chapter 16: H. Beecher Hicks Jr. (1943–)

• Chapter 17: Harry S. Wright Sr. (1931–)

• Chapter 18: Jasper W. Williams Jr. (1943–)

• Chapter 19: Melvin Von Wade Sr. (1944–)

• Chapter 20: Clay Evans (1925–2019)

• Chapter 21: Lacy Kirk (L. K.) Curry (1926–)

• Chapter 22: Robert Smith Jr. (1949–)

• Chapter 23: Joel C. Gregory (1948–)

• Chapter 24: Lloyd C. Blue (1933–)

• Recommended Reading

• Bibliography

“Let the Legends Preach is a gift to the world, and an answer to my prayers. My friend, Dr. Jared Alcántara, has handed us a historical snapshot of these gospel giants, along with their sermons. To some these preachers will be like reuniting with old friends, and to others they will be sorely needed introductions. And to all, we will find deep refreshment as each preacher takes us deeper into the well of God’s word. My hope is that this book will gain a wide reading, particularly in those spaces where African American preaching and preachers have been ignored.”

—Bryan Loritts, author of The Dad Difference

“In his book, Let the Legends Preach, Dr. Jared Alcántara allows us to eavesdrop on the preaching prowess of twenty-four homiletical giants who were selected as ‘living legends’ at the E. K. Bailey International Conference on Biblical Preaching. With the wit and wisdom of a sage and seer, each of these great proclaimers etched rich insights onto the fabric of the ...