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Through his years in the church and as Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Virginia, Tom Simmons has thought through the issues of effective preaching with not just theory but the practical application of it. The experience Simmons had and researched about preaching made it possible for him to start The Sermon Coach, which is both an innovative and an effective process for helping other pastors improve their preaching and communication.
Why Preaching Requires More Than Habit
Preaching must not be an issue of habit, stress, or isolation. Pastors have been preaching for years but often have no clue about whether the message is relevant, and whether they are going through the right process of preparation. Simmons knows that from his own experience of going through a difficult period of preaching when it wasn’t clear what approach to be used to improve it.
As a result, Simmons started to work as the coach of other ministers. The Sermon Coach implies applying the principles of sound coaching and the concept of trust to this relationship. It doesn’t imply developing preachings according to a formula and seeing it just as a performance. The Sermon Coach gives the opportunity to put the trust-based relationship into practice.
To sum it up, Simmons has an excellent educational background including the Diploma in Divinity obtained at Westminster Seminary, Master of Arts in Education and Doctorate in Preaching.
Asking Instead of Telling
People don’t always find comfort in sermon coaching. While pastors have plenty of resources available to them, Simmons explains that these things do not always lead to success in helping preachers prepare the best possible sermons. Some preachers just want someone who can help them understand how to prepare for preaching, without telling them what to do or how to do it.
As a result, with his approach to coaching, Simmons ‘asks instead of telling.’ He claims that the art of sermon coaching includes asking the right questions regarding one’s own preaching style, ministry, and approach. The last couple of sentences are important because they explain the key idea of Simmons’ approach: the importance of coaching as a process of finding out what works best for a preacher and what does not.
The Weekly Pressure of Sermon Preparation
Most clergy members have some understanding of the pressure that comes with preparing sermons. With huge tasks related to pastoral care, administration, church management, education and family obligations waiting for them, it becomes difficult for preachers to focus on the preaching process.Given enough time, the need to communicate a new sermon each week may result in burnout, creative stagnation, and stress. Simmons confirms this notion, pointing out that the pressure of producing new ideas each week can weigh heavily on those in the ministry both because of the hard work required to come up with the words of wisdom and because the chance of not seeing results may demotivate one’s endeavors.
The importance of effective preaching coaching helps in solving this problem because it provides the preacher with the necessary framework of sound thoughts. In the religious setting, many leaders are expected to provide a lot of guidance and support, while they do not receive enough attention themselves. The coaching system creates the atmosphere of reflection.
Coaching emphasizes that good communication is both theological and practical. The sermon should contain sound theology, but it should also be understood by ordinary people living their lives. Preachers should focus not only on delivering the information but should also pay attention to the ways to touch the audience.
One of the main advantages of Simmons’ coaching is helping to relieve stress during sermon preparation. Many pastors who take coaching have a chance to minimize the number of references to other authors or scriptural texts, improve their understanding of the Scriptures, and refuel their creativity.
Preaching, Leadership, and Congregational Life
That connection between preaching and leadership is central to Simmons’ credibility. He is not approaching homiletics as an abstract academic subject. He has led a congregation through years of ordinary Sundays, pastoral transitions, community engagement, and changing communication habits. At St. Peter’s, he has been part of efforts to use digital formats to extend teaching beyond the walls of the church, including a podcast designed to reach members, neighbors, and others with meaningful conversations about faith. That practical ministry context informs his understanding of how clergy must communicate in ways that are faithful, accessible, and responsive to the questions people are actually asking.
Sermon coaching also affirms the importance of lifelong learning. Some pastors may assume that preaching development belongs mainly to seminary students or newly ordained clergy. Simmons challenges that assumption. His work speaks to experienced ministers who may have preached for years but still want to grow. In fact, seasoned pastors may benefit deeply from coaching because they have enough experience to recognize patterns, enough responsibility to feel the cost of stagnation, and enough maturity to engage a process of honest reflection. Growth in preaching is not a remedial exercise. It is a mark of pastoral excellence.
The best preaching coaches understand that every preacher is different. Simmons rejects a one-size-fits-all approach, emphasizing that coaching has the flexibility to support learning and change in a wide variety of people. This flexibility is essential because churches are not interchangeable, and neither are preachers. A rural parish, urban congregation, Anglican church, evangelical fellowship, or multi-staff ministry may each require different forms of communication. The preacher’s task is not to imitate someone else’s style, but to become more faithful and effective within a particular calling.
That is why the questions matter. A strong coaching question can reveal what a pastor is avoiding, what a sermon is missing, or what the preacher is trying to say but has not yet articulated. It can uncover whether the message has a clear center, whether the application is connected to the text, whether the preacher is speaking to the actual congregation, and whether the sermon carries both conviction and grace. These questions do not replace prayer, study, or theological discipline. They help focus them.
Preaching Development as Part of Shepherding Well
Simmons’ work as The Sermon Coach is ultimately rooted in hope. He believes preachers can improve. He believes clarity can be learned, confidence can be strengthened, and preparation can become less stressful and more fruitful. He believes clergy can grow without being shamed, evaluated harshly, or forced into someone else’s mold. That encouraging posture is part of what makes coaching different from critique. The goal is not to expose failure, but to help pastors move forward.
For clergy seeking growth, Simmons offers a model of preaching coaching that is both practical and deeply pastoral. It respects the weight of the pulpit, the demands of ministry, and the spiritual responsibility of communicating biblical truth. It also recognizes that pastors are human beings who can become tired, discouraged, bored, or overwhelmed. By creating a trusted space for reflection, questions, and intentional development, Tom Simmons helps preachers recover the art of sermon preparation as a living discipline and the act of preaching as a central expression of faithful church leadership.
In a ministry landscape where pastors are asked to lead through complexity, communicate across divides, and nourish congregations with substance, preaching development is not optional. It is part of the work of shepherding well. Simmons’ contribution through The Sermon Coach is a reminder that better preaching does not begin with louder delivery or clever technique. It begins with humility, curiosity, disciplined reflection, and the willingness to keep learning for the sake of the people who gather to hear the Word proclaimed.
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