Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship

08/19/2026

What does a playwright know about preaching? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

Ins Choi, creator of Kim’s Convenience, once contemplated following his father and grandfather into ministry before pursuing his calling as an actor and playwright.

In this Christianity Today feature, Choi reflects on faith, family, preaching, and the creative journey behind his one-man play, Son of a Preacherman.

We’re delighted that Ins will bring that storyteller’s perspective to LRPF 2026, joining Susan Sparks and R.H. Thomson for the panel discussion: “Once Upon a Sermon: A Preacher’s Guide to Storytelling”

Toronto audiences will also have an opportunity to see Ins perform Son of a Preacherman October 1–11, 2026 at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, one of the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship’s partner churches.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to experience Ins Choi the storyteller before hearing him reflect on the art and craft of storytelling at LRPF later in October.

Son of a Preacherman: https://pacifictheatre.org/show/son-of-a-preacherman/

Learn more and register for LRPF 2026: www.lesterrandall.com

The creator of “Kim’s Convenience” wrestled with the call to pastoral ministry. But his faith and art have led him there nevertheless.

08/12/2026

What does it mean to preach Jesus Christ in a complex world?

Political polarization, declining biblical literacy, religious diversity and skepticism toward institutions are all part of the context in which preachers proclaim the Gospel today.

We’re grateful to Faith Today for publishing “Preaching Jesus Christ in a Complex World,” exploring some of the questions at the heart of this year’s Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship.

How do we proclaim Christ faithfully without becoming partisan? How do we speak with conviction while remaining humble? And how do we proclaim the uniqueness of Christ while respecting neighbours of other faiths – or none at all?
These are not simply academic questions. They are pastoral ones.

Read the article: https://www.faithtoday.ca/Magazines/2026-Jul-Aug/Preaching-Jesus-Christ-in-a-complex-world

08/05/2026

Greetings from our friends at Chautauqua Institution, a valued sponsor of the 2026 Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship. We're grateful to Anna Carter Florence for sharing this warm encouragement to those considering the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship. Anna has been part of the LRPF community in previous years, and we're delighted to share her message.

We're also grateful for the generous support of the Chautauqua Institution. We look forward to welcoming their team to Toronto this October.
Join us October 25–27 in Toronto. Register today: www.lesterrandall.com

07/31/2026

Congratulations to Rev. Jeff Crittenden, a valued member of the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship Planning Committee and Minister of St Andrew's United Church, Toronto, on the publication of his new book, Leisure Bound and Free: Communities of the Pilgrim.

We celebrate this significant achievement and are grateful for Jeff's thoughtful leadership, scholarship, and ministry. We wish him every success as this new work finds its readers and enriches conversations about faith, community, and the pilgrim journey.

A few days ago, I shared that Leisure Bound and Free: Communities of the Pilgrim has been released.

Today, I wanted to share a glimpse inside.

“Lost is the collective, the community, the sharing of space, of ideas, of the common good, especially for the poor and vulnerable.
It is here, in the midst of an endless pursuit of individual preferences, at any cost, at any time, including at the cost of knowing our neighbor,
where possibility knocks on those old wooden doors that, when open, reveal the mission of a community. It is time for North American mainline churches to go back on pilgrimage.”

I hope these reflections encourage you to think differently about pilgrimage, community and the journey we share.

If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, it’s available wherever books are sold.

07/06/2026

One Gospel. One shared calling.

As Canada Day and Independence Day are now behind us, we're reminded that while our nations celebrate different histories, our calling as preachers remains the same. Different nations. Different traditions. One Gospel. One shared calling: to proclaim Jesus Christ.

We're grateful to Susan Sparks for sharing this reflection on her July 5th sermon and how its themes resonate with this year's Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship. If you haven't yet registered, we'd love to welcome you to Toronto this October as we gather with preachers, pastors, students, and ministry leaders from across Canada, the United States, and beyond.

Register today: https://www.lesterrandall.com

07/03/2026

Today is the last day to take advantage of the Early-Bird registration discount for the 2026 Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship to be held in Toronto from October 25th-27th.

The purpose of our event is to engage, encourage, equip and inspire preachers.

The LRPF is three days of engagement with not only some of the most gifted professors and practitioners of preaching but also an opportunity to come alongside others who, like you, are seeking to grow their preaching gifts.

The schedule includes lectures and sermons offered by our keynote speakers, panels and numerous workshops from which to choose. There are plenty of breaks and shared meals to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones.

Of course, you can still register next week or even next month, but you will pay a little more, so why not register today? Please also be aware that there are only a few spaces left in the Tuesday afternoon Fine Tuned Preaching mentoring sessions. By registering today, you can ensure you have one of those spaces.

We look forward to seeing you in October!

07/01/2026

Happy Canada Day!
Today we give thanks for this beautiful and diverse country, for the freedom to gather in worship, and for the privilege of proclaiming the hope of Jesus Christ from coast to coast to coast.

As we celebrate, we're also looking ahead to this October when preachers, pastors, students, and ministry leaders from across Canada and beyond will gather in Toronto for the 2026 Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship.

Early-Bird registration ends Friday, July 3. If you've been planning to join us, now is the perfect time to secure your place at Canada's premier ecumenical preaching conference and save before prices increase.

Wishing you a joyful, safe, and blessed Canada Day.
Register today: https://www.lesterrandall.com

06/29/2026

There's still time to register for the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship 2026 at Early-Bird rates, but not for long.
Join preachers, pastors, ministry leaders, and students from across Canada and beyond for three days of renewal, learning, worship, and conversation centered on the craft and calling of preaching.

You'll experience:
• Inspiring keynote presentations from Craig Barnes, John Bell, Teresa Fry Brown, and more
• Fine-Tuned Preaching groups with thoughtful feedback and encouragement
• Practical workshops to strengthen your preaching and ministry
• Worship, fellowship, and meaningful conversation across denominations

If preaching is central to your calling, invest a few days in your own renewal.
Early-Bird registration closes July 3.
Register: https://bit.ly/4wCIp4U
Learn more: www.lesterrandall.com

'The Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship is a wonderful and ecumenical gathering of clergy from across Canada. The worship, presentations and fellowship are regularly stunning. I thoroughly recommend it.' David Lose