By Gordon L. Heath

The temptation of every preacher is to find famous preachers and try to imitate their style.

The assumption is that we can only be successful if we imitate that special someone else—in other words, who I am is not really enough so I must try to be someone else.

Of course, imitation can be a positive thing. In fact, Christians are instructed to imitate those who are good and godly leaders (1 Cor 11:1; 3 John 11).

Yet there is a danger to imitation, and that danger is trying to be like someone else to the point of not being yourself. Stated differently, the temptation is to imitate to such a degree that your own personality and giftedness are eclipsed or even lost.

I recently stumbled across this quote from a famous Baptist preacher that reminds us of this danger. If there ever was a “rock star” preacher it was Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892). He was world-renowned in his day and remains a vital role model for millions today. Yet, as the following quote indicates, Spurgeon urged preachers not to fall prey to the temptation of trying to be someone else. Interestingly, I came across these brief words of Spurgeon in an Anglican periodical.

Spurgeon quaintly characterizes great preaching, and warns against imitations in the following sentences: “A church with a Luther in every pulpit would be all fist; and with a Calvin to fill every pastorate she would be all skull. Blessed be God for one Robert Hall, but let the man be whipped who tries in his own person to make a second. Rowland Hill is admirable for once, but it is quite as well that the mould was broken. There is a great run just now for little Robertsons of Brighton, but there will soon be a glut in the market.”

Wise words from one who had many imitators.

For the sake of the church, and for our own need to be faithful to God’s unique call upon each one of us (not us pretending to be someone else), let us heed Spurgeon on this point.

[Editor’s Note: This blog originally appeared on www.gordonlheath.com. To read more, visit the original post here.]

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Gordon L. Heath, PhD, is Professor of Christian History, holds the Centenary Chair in World Christianity, and is Director of the Canadian Baptist Archives, all at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, ON. He is also Secretary of the CBHS.

**The views of this Blog represent those of the author, and not necessarily the CBHS.**