An Honest Sermon
Plagiarism, the pulpit, and how to appropriate others' ideas appropriately.
Mike Woodruff and Steve Moore
January 1, 2003
Last spring Edward Mullins, rector of Christ Church Cranbrook, served a 90-day suspension issued by the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. He was being investigated for an increasingly common but confusing charge—plagiarism. Mullins's messages were found conspicuously similar to the words of Jim Cymbala, Texas pastor Phil Ware, and sources from the Online Pulpit. Mullins's story has served as a catalyst for the debate about preaching and plagiarism. Some have declared Mullins's actions unethical and Mullins himself unfit for pastoral ministry. Indeed, just a few months prior to Mullins's suspension, the pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in Clayton, Missouri, resigned after admitting to homiletic plagiarism. Others have rushed to Mullins's defense, such as a church member quoted in The New York Times: "People come to church for his sermons, whether they're his, they're incorporated, or however he does it. He puts the message forth that needs to be put forth." Others have claimed that what he did was perfectly legal—after all, he paid for the online sermon material. In fact, the Internet has made "borrowing" sermon material from others far easier. And, perhaps, more common. Richard Stern, a Lutheran minister and professor of homiletics at St. Meinrad School of Theology told Louisville's Courier-Journal, "People tend to drift into it. They get pressured (telling themselves), 'I've had three funerals and two weddings; I don't have a sermon ready, so I'll just look in this book or go on the Web.'" But the question isn't simply whether it's easy or common or understandable, but is it right? How can preachers effectively and ethically incorporate into their sermons the great insights from others? Does anyone not borrow?
As the newspapers ...
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