For more than 75 years, Samford has sent students to preach in Baptist churches on any given Sunday through the program now known as Samford Sunday. The program, formerly known as H-Day, gives students preparing for Christian ministry vocations valuable experience preaching in a local church.

The program benefits and blesses churches throughout the state of Alabama. Over the past few decades, the number of participants has decreased, but Samford is revitalizing the program for both undergraduate and graduate students.

On the undergraduate side, several students in the university’s pre-ministerial scholars program participate in Samford Sunday. James Martin ’24 previously served as the program’s student director while an undergraduate student. Martin now serves as the program coordinator and is also working toward his MDiv at Beeson. He helps student preachers obtain undergraduate opportunities and assists with their sermons. On the graduate side, Beeson's associate dean Tom Fuller has worked to expand preaching opportunities for Beeson's students.

Joining the undergraduate efforts to rejuvenate Samford Sunday seemed like a natural fit as Beeson was seeking to provide its students with more opportunities to preach. This spring, 12 students, including three undergraduate students, preached in churches across central Alabama.

"The preaching experience was great," said senior Edson Crawford.

Preaching from Mark 2 at Stowers Hill Baptist Church in Attalla, Alabama, Crawford said his sermon served as an excellent opportunity to prepare for ministry through sermon preparation.

Beeson student Handley Hicks preached on the faith of the centurion in Matthew 8. "This was my second time ever preaching at a formal church gathering, so it came with a bit of nerves but also excitement," Hicks said. "I felt confident and like I was able to internalize what I wanted to say."

Hicks hopes the experience helps prepare him for ministry by allowing him to continue practicing preaching. "Once I got up to speak that Sunday, looking out at the congregation, it was made more real to me that I am speaking to flesh-and-blood people with lives that are both incredibly similar, yet so different than my own."

First-year MDiv student Ben Coggin preached the Sunday after Easter at Coosa Valley Baptist Church in Pell City, Alabama. It was meaningful to step out of the classroom and into a pulpit.

“In discussing theology, we go deep into theory, which is important, but opportunities like going to Coosa Valley let me step out of the seminary bubble,” he said. “Interacting with people, hearing about the hardship of their week—this is something we don’t necessarily learn how to handle in a lecture. You really have to experience it.”

Fuller said the Samford Sunday program is crucial for bridging generations.

“Pastors don’t just sprout fully grown from the ground. God raises them up and gifts them and uses the community of faith to nurture and cultivate those gifts in service to the church,” Fuller said. “And while students benefit, it’s equally important for churches to be reminded of the role the church has in helping us call out, raise up, prepare and encourage ministers for the church in the future."