Contact: Cindy Harper, Communications Coordinator, 760-940-0600, support@sermoncentral.com

VISTA, Calif., Jan. 30 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pastors across the U.S. and around the globe are affirming The Preacher's Pledge--a declaration of the centrality of the Bible in preaching and sermon preparation. More than 5,000 preachers have now taken The Pledge, with many more affirming it every day.

The Pledge was introduced by SermonCentral.com, the world's most highly trafficked sermon website. More than 250,000 visitors come to the site each month to access over 140,000 sermons and illustrations, amounting to nearly a half-million pages of online Scripture commentary.

"We introduced The Pledge because we think preachers must engage the Bible in their sermon preparation and not simply short-cut the process using someone else's study," says Ron Forseth, general editor for SermonCentral.com. "Our site is a valuable supplement--but not the primary source for a sermon. God's Word is."

Sermon manuscript and illustration databases have been around long before the advent of the Internet. But in the cyber age, the availability of such resources is far greater and, in the case of SermonCentral.com, free. Some preachers have been known to drift from the centrality of the Bible or even plagiarize others' work. The Pledge allows preachers to make a public commitment to integrity in their preaching.

Scott Evans, president of Outreach, Inc., which owns SermonCentral.com, adds, "SermonCentral.com offers an unprecedented opportunity for pastors to share their thinking on various passages of Scripture and relevant topics. We want to strengthen the quality of preaching in pulpits around the world. The Preacher's Pledge is helping to do that by affirming pastors that keep their messages purely and intentionally biblical. With every sermon on our site, we encourage pastors to affirm The Pledge."

The Preacher's Pledge was drafted by a group of Christian leaders on the site's advisory council. The Pledge states:

"I will make the Bible my primary resource in sermon preparation and preaching.

I may use other resources such as commentaries and web sites to enhance, not replace, my personal interaction with Scripture.

As I study I will strive to accurately understand and honestly apply God's Word, allowing Him
to uniquely proclaim His truth in a relevant way through me."

Pastors wishing to affirm The Pledge may do so by visiting www.sermoncentral.com/pledge.

Questions or inquiries may be directed to the site's communications coordinator, Cindy Harper, at support@sermoncentral.com.