Baylor University scholars gave eleven men and one woman the honours out of 800 nominees.
W Hulitt Gloer, from Baylor's Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas said: "In a world where talk is cheap and there seems to be no end to it, the preacher has to recover the priority and power of the word.
"Words are the tools of the preacher and that gives them incredible power."
Preaching experts from the school focused on biblical texts in the nominees' preaching, the relevance of their sermons, and their ability to articulate a message well.
Here is the list:
Alistair Begg- senior pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, a position he has held since 1983.
Tony Evans- founding pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas.
Joel C Gregory- serves on the Baptist World Alliance Commission on Worship and Spirituality
Timothy Keller- founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, New York.
Thomas G Long- Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Director of the Early Career Pastoral Leadership Program at Emory University's Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia.
Otis Moss III- pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois.
John Piper- chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Piper is a pastor, author, and leader the website desiringGod.org.
The late Haddon Robinson- wrote more than a dozen books, including his hallmark text, "Biblical Preaching," still used by seminaries and Bible colleges around the world.
Andy Stanley- senior pastor of North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church, Browns Bridge Church, Gwinnett Church, Woodstock City Church, and Decatur City Church.
Charles Swindoll- pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. Swindoll is the senior pastor at Stonebriar Community Church, in Frisco, Texas.
Barbara Brown Taylor- an Episcopal priest, professor, author and theologian.
Ralph Douglas West- founder and senior pastor of The Church Without Walls in Houston, Texas.
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