United Methodist minister Kathryn Ransdell is the winner of Texas Impact's statewide sermon contest on health justice.
Read the Dallas Morning News story
The contest, which ran for twelve weeks, drew sermons by clergy, lay preachers and seminary students from across the state and from several religious denominations.
Ransdell's sermon, preached at First United Methodist Church of Dallas, focused on the need for Christians to participate in the national discussion about health care reform as part of their ongoing ministry to the sick and those in need. Citing her own challenges paying for treatment for her ill husband, Ransdell contrasted "the prayers that Christians love to pray for peace and healing for those who are sick," with the need for financial peace, saying "We needed the kind of prayers Christians don't know how to pray."
“As our nation struggles with the issue of health care reform, it’s especially important that the voices of faith communities be firmly grounded in theology and scripture, and not simply reflect partisan rhetoric,” said Texas Impact executive director Bee Moorhead. “We thought the best way to model that authentic faithful witness would be to showcase the reflections of our own wonderful Texas clergy, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.”
“I think it’s absolutely critical for the church to preach the great biblical texts which reveal God as the one who brings justice and insists on justice among God’s people,” said contest judge Reverend Bill McElvaney, a retired United Methodist pastor and professor of homiletics at Perkins Theological Seminary. “What is the pulpit if it does not address key issues, and particularly huge systems that impact the lives of people all the time every day?”
Contest entrants submitted their entries in the form of videos up to 10 minutes in length in either English or Spanish. The contest was judged by a panel of preaching experts according to six categories, including sermon structure, exegesis, theology, audience engagement, evocative content and delivery.
Most contestants did not address specific health insurance policy proposals, but all agreed that people of faith should advocate for policies that increase access to health care.
"As Christians, we must care and be part of what is happening on a national level as policy is developed for health care reform in our country. We must recognize the fear that resides within us so that we can allow it to be pushed out of our way so we can continue doing the work Jesus calls us to do," said Ransdell.
"I believe that it must be said from every pulpit that taking care of as many people as possible, seeking decent health for as many of God's children as possible, is part of what it means to be human, part of what it means to live in community, to be people of faith," said Father Jeffrey Walker of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Austin.
The contest winners are:
- First Prize English Language: Reverend Kathryn Ransdell, First United Methodist Church, Dallas
- Second Prize English Language (tie): Reverend Mary Spradlin, St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, Arlington, and Father Jeffrey Walker, St. James Episcopal Church, Austin
- Runner-Up English Language: Reverend Dan DeLeon, Friends Congregational Church, College Station
- First Prize Spanish Language: Reverend Margarita Arroyo, St. James Episcopal Church, Austin
The winning sermons along with all the other entries are posted on YouTube.
