Learn from other preachers, but don't steal their sermons word for word
Customer Rating: 
Scott Gibson is a preaching professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He writes this book to encourage pastors to prepare their own sermons, to spend time exegeting and studying God's Word for themselves.
The first chapter is a brief survey of a number of famous people who have been accused of plagiarism or who have been caught in the act of plagiarizing. He mentions poets, preachers, historians, and public speakers.
In the next chapter, Gibson defines plagiarism as stealing other people's material and using it as your own. He says that plagiarizing sermons betrays the trust of the people, who are paying you and dpending on you to study the word and bring fresh insight into issues affecting their lives and their parish.
Gibson goes to say that pastors who plagiarize do it because they are insecure about their own ability to give home run sermons, or because they are lazy, or because they are depressed (hard to see where Gibson was coming from on this point), or because they feel a need to compete with the megachurch preachers. Gibson says that we should study responsibly, read widely, take notes, apply the text to ourselves, and give credit when we do use other pastors' insights. No heavy documentation is necessary, simply say "I heard so and so say this," or "It has been said in the past," or "Church Swindoll writes."
Ginson also advises pastors to be careful when navigating the world wide web. Pastors should should wisely, and do what is right. When we blow it, we should confess, repent, and get some accountability partners.
There is a brief discussion near the end of the book concerning how to properly confront a minister suspecting of sermon stealing.
This is a controversial topic, and I think Gibson does a good job with it.
Plagiarizing Preachers Beware, this book could expose you to yourself
Customer Rating: I picked up Gibson's book while stocking books in the preaching section of our store. Having been the victim of a plagiarizing pastor in college, I was interested to see what he would say, and how he would approach it. Fortunately, I shared the same sentiments as he did, so the book was interesting the whole way through.
In about 100 pages Gibson takes on the ethical dilemma many pastors find themselves in during their preaching lifetimes, should they use someone else's sermons? His answer is a firm, "No" with the exception of citing, in a bulletin, or in the sermon. While it seems rather obvious to a layperson that a pastor should have something original every Sunday, Gibson discusses the intricacies that could go unnoticed.
He handled the subject pretty objectively, noting that many pastors throughout history have suggested that pastors use other's sermons instead of taking the risk of preaching a doctrinally unsound sermon. But he makes sure it is understood that there is a big difference between stealing a sermon, and quoting/citing others ideas within one's own sermon.
He also devotes a chapter to the prevention of this temptation for pastors. He suggests ways in which the church can handle a situation in which a pastor plagiarizes. The book is very readable, and worth the read for anybody who is on staff at a church, or anybody who has been victim to a sermon stealing pastor, or are suspect of their pastor.
I too thank you Mr. Gibson for writing this book. I have seen sermon stealing first hand, and it didn't help my own disillusionment, but this book helps reconcile the situation.
