Bexley Seabury Students Shine at 2025 Preaching Excellence Program

Quincy Hall, rising Senior from the Diocese of Alabama (l) with rising Junior Matthew Sanaker from the Diocese of Central New York. 

Bexley Seabury celebrates the continued selection of our seminarians to participate in the Episcopal Preaching Foundation’s annual Preaching Excellence Program (PEP), a formative weeklong experience dedicated to cultivating outstanding preaching in the Episcopal Church. Held this year from May 26–30 at the Roslyn Retreat Center in Richmond, Virginia, the 37th annual PEP gathered 45 seminarians from 13 Episcopal seminaries and formation programs across the U.S. and Canada.

Offering intensive instruction in both the art and the spirituality of preaching, participants are nominated by their deans or homiletics professors for their demonstrated promise in the pulpit. Bexley Seabury is honored to have had two students selected again this year: rising senior Quincy Hall (Diocese of Alabama) and rising junior Matthew Sanaker (Diocese of Central New York). 

For Quincy Hall, the experience was both invigorating and deeply affirming. “What an amazing privilege it was to be a part of the 2025 Preaching Excellence cohort and to spend my time at ‘preach away camp’ with my brother, Matthew Sanaker,” he said. “The sessions, the preaching groups, and the downtime with other seminarians and faculty not only enriched my preaching life but also added fuel to this flame that the Holy Spirit has set in me to be a pastor and proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The heart of PEP is its small preaching groups, in which each participant has the opportunity to preach and receive constructive, appreciative feedback from faculty and peers. These groups are designed to foster trust, risk-taking, and deep growth. In addition to the preaching labs, the conference featured daily worship and a lineup of workshops on sermon content, delivery, and preaching in today’s diverse contexts. This year’s faculty included noted homileticians such as the Rev. Sen. Kimberly Jackson (Bexley Seabury D.D. Honoris Causa ’24) and Bexley Seabury’s own former President, the Rev. Micah Jackson (Seabury-Western ’04).

Matthew Sanaker described the experience as both inspiring and energizing: “I heard some great preaching and attended some really thoughtful and thought-provoking seminars on preaching, both in terms of preparation and delivery,” he said. “It was such a blessing to gather for prayer, share our stories and experiences, share meals, make new friends, and deepen my friendship with my brother Quincy. I love that it was referred to as ‘preach away camp’—it was both enriching and fun to be there with everyone.”

The Episcopal Preaching Foundation generously underwrites most of the program costs, ensuring broad access for emerging preachers from across the church. Bexley Seabury gives thanks for their ongoing vision and partnership and celebrates the gifts of our students, who return from PEP renewed and equipped to serve our community through vibrant, Spirit-filled preaching and leadership.