More midwife than mortician: a study on the effects of preaching as congregations live through merger and the loss of church buildings

This thesis looks at the role and effect of preaching with two congregations during the period when they were merging to become one congregation and also closing their two buildings at the same time. The study shows that when such a situation is faced honestly by preacher and congregation together, when a variety of approaches to preaching are taken, when honesty is the key and embodiment of the message becomes part of the process then the expected death of the congregation does not follow. New life emerges from the old. The preacher is the midwife to this process, whilst being mortician to the old pattern at the same time. Not an easy stance, but a very worthwhile one!