--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The test of a preacher is that his…" description: "\"The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not \"What a lovely sermon!\" but \"I will do something.\"\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/anonymous-1_christian_the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congr_2173605.jpg" --- # The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away… ![“The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not "What a lovely sermon!" but "I will do something."” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/anonymous-1_christian_the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congr_2173605.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/anonymous-1_christian_the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congr_2173605.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/anonymous-1_christian_the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congr_2173605.jpg) > “The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not "What a lovely sermon!" but "I will do something."” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A preacher’s success is measured by inspiring action, not just praise for the sermon. **In simple terms:** Impactful teaching leads to deeds. Key Takeaway Focus on motivating change. Themes leadership influence action Mood inspirational purposeful Type reflective advice When to use this quote - religious services - educational workshops - community meetings - coaching sessions Key Concepts behavioral change motivational speaking Questions to Reflect On - How will you assess impact? - What actions would signal success? A Different Perspective Inspiring action can be difficult to gauge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-inspirational/) [Congregation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congregation/) [Preacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sermons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermons/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) ## Related quotes > [“The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not, ‘What a lovely sermon!’ but ‘I will do something.’” — Billy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hensley/the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congregation-goes-away-saying-not-2/) [Ken Hensley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hensley/) > [When the congregation becomes the norm by which sermons are measured, a minister has put a mortgage on his soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-the-congregation-becomes-the-norm-by-which-sermons-are-measured/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You were half a second away from saying we’re the villains in our story!” May”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-riley/you-were-half-a-second-away-from-saying-we-re-the-villains-in-our/) [James Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-riley/) > [Sometimes people give away more by not saying something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/sometimes-people-give-away-more-by-not-saying-something/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [The best thing you can do is go away from this saying, 'I can do this too,' because it's all possible and I'm living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-lauren/the-best-thing-you-can-do-is-go-away-from-this-saying-i-can-do-this/) [Ralph Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-lauren/) > [“I swear I won't run away again, though. If I have to go, or if you ask me to, I'll walk away after saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-davitt/i-swear-i-won-t-run-away-again-though-if-i-have-to-go-or-if-you-ask/) [Jane Davitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-davitt/) > [No good, A cute girl just gone away without saying a word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam/no-good-a-cute-girl-just-gone-away-without-saying-a-word/) [Adam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam/) > [I'm a lie away from saying what I really think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/you-me-at-six/i-m-a-lie-away-from-saying-what-i-really-think/) [You Me At Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/you-me-at-six/) > [...the Bible itself is less read than preached, less interpreted than brandished. Increasingly, pastors may drape a limply bound Book over the edges of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/the-bible-itself-is-less-read-than-preached-less-interpreted-than/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [There was a time when ministers spoke forthrightly and named things. We don't name anything anymore. Finney had a sermon on How to Preach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/there-was-a-time-when-ministers-spoke-forthrightly-and-named-things/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [I see this in the way that sermons are preached. How would you give a Black Nationalist speech or campaign for the Republicans when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-see-this-in-the-way-that-sermons-are-preached-how-would-you-give-a/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I've chronicled the experience of the mother of a transgender child who got attacked by the Ku Klux Klan in Tennessee, and that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-ve-chronicled-the-experience-of-the-mother-of-a-transgender-child/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [HOMILETICS, n. The science of adapting sermons to the spiritual needs, capacities and conditions of the congregation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/homiletics-n-the-science-of-adapting-sermons-to-the-spiritual-needs/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [When you put biblical truth to the songs used in churches, you'll have the congregation leave singing the sermon. You'll have God's thoughts, things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-story/when-you-put-biblical-truth-to-the-songs-used-in-churches-you-ll-have/) [Laura Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-story/) > [A group is as healthy as its 'social contract' is clear; a congregation as faithful as its covenant is mutually understood; a pastor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-group-is-as-healthy-as-its-social-contract-is-clear-a-congregation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Christian quotes > [I need a bath." 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Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) [Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not \"What a lovely sermon!\" but \"I will do something.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congregation-goes-away-saying-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congregation-goes-away-saying-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/anonymous-1_christian_the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congr_2173605.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/anonymous-1_christian_the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congr_2173605.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/anonymous-1_christian_the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congr_2173605.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not \"What a lovely sermon!\" but \"I will do…” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The test of a preacher is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congregation-goes-away-saying-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-test-of-a-preacher-is-that-his-congregation-goes-away-saying-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```