First Cumberland Presbyterian Church will feature a book signing, two sermons and a luncheon May 15 in honor of Dr. Thomas G. Long, a famous speaker and theology teacher.
“Newsweek magazine hailed him as one of America’s top 10 preachers,” said Gary Carver, senior pastor of First Cumberland. “You sit during his addresses with your mouth open. What sets him apart is his creativity, imagination and his ability to articulate, which is phenomenal. We’d love to have him every year, but he’s in such demand it took us a year to get him.”
First Cumberland will host a morning meet-and-greet book signing May 15 at 10 a.m., where Long will be available for questions. The first sermon will be held during First Cumberland’s morning worship service at 11 a.m. on the topic, “The God You Get.” Lunch prepared by the deacons of the church will follow at noon and is open to the public for $6 per person. Long will give a second sermon at 1 p.m. on “The Parables of Jesus: Puzzles and Riddles.”
Long is currently a professor of preaching in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta; he previously taught at Princeton University. Carver said Long is one of the most well-known and accomplished teachers of preachers in the country.
“He’s an outstanding person,” said Carver, who has known Long for more than 15 years. “When you are in the presence of greatness, which you certainly are with Dr. Long, you are really inspired and encouraged because of his wisdom, ability and spirituality.”