About the Lectures

The Hughes Preaching Lecture Series is an annual forum for a prominent pastor or scholar to give a series of lectures on our campus which either address the subject of preaching or in some indirect but significant way resource faithful and effective Christian preaching. They may be offered by a preacher regarding that sacred task or they may be given by someone from another field of expertise to help illumine and enhance the work of preachers in fulfilling their divine calling.

The lectures were established in 2017 in honor of the generous support of Robbie Hughes to Reformed Theological Seminary’s preparation of future preachers via the establishment of the Hughes Institute for Pastoral Excellence. For information on the Hughes Initiative and the Hughes Scholarships available to select students, visit this webpage.

Past Speakers

To listen to past lectures, select the year you would like to hear.

2022 | Rev. Dr. David Strain

2021 | Rev. Dr. David Swanson

2019 | Dr. Mika Edmondson

2018 | Dr. Philip G. Ryken
Fully Evangelical, Totally Biblical Maximally Practical Homiletics

2017 | Kevin DeYoung, MDiv
How Can a Biblical Sermon Be So Boring? Preaching Christ Faithfully and Effectively

2023 Lectures

RTS Orlando is pleased to welcome Dr. Nigel Biggar to deliver the 2023 Hughes Preaching Lectures on October 4, 2023. Dr. Biggar serves as Regius Professor of Moral Theology at Oxford. All are welcome to attend the lecture and to join Dr. Biggar for a Q&A luncheon (please register here). The schedule for the series is as follows:

Wednesday, Oct. 4

  • 11:00 – 11:50 – Lecture (Title: Reckoning with History: A Christian View)
  • 12:00 – 12:50 – Lunchtime Q & A with Dr. Biggar

In recent years, history has become a political battleground as clamour rises for the righting of the wrongs of the past—whether slavery or the colonial theft of land. Christians believe in telling the whole truth and in doing justice, as well as in the confession of sin and repentance. But what exactly is our moral responsibility in studying the past? What Christian principles and virtues should shape our approach? And what guidance might Christians offer fellow citizens as they seek to manage fierce political polarisation over the truth about history?

Join faculty and students for lunch during the 2023 Hughes Lecture, delivered by Dr. Nigel Biggar, where he will focus focus on the question: how should a Christian reckon morally with history.