And that's exactly what happened when Taylor gave a recent Sunday sermon in a tiny Episcopal church in north Georgia. As cows grazed in a pasture next to the church, she talked about hospitality. The congregation is as quiet as children listening to a bedtime story. She abruptly turns from the pulpit and sits. The church is filled with an electric silence.
People are still absorbing what they have just heard.
And so are many others who have heard Taylor. She is considered one of the most innovative preachers in the world. Three years ago, Baylor University named Taylor, who lives in Clarkesville, one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English language. Taylor never planned to be a preacher. Even today, she remains ambivalent about her role as a minister.