Episcopal preacher's mentor retires after founding four-decade ministry

A. Gary Shilling, an economist and investment advisor, announced his retirement on September 21 as head of the Episcopal Preaching Foundation, which he founded in 1987 and largely funded himself. Shilling, 89, will become board chairman emeritus, with Executive Director Peter Wild continuing to lead the organization's operations. Shilling created the foundation after observing that many sermons were poorly delivered, believing that strong preaching was essential to attracting and retaining congregants and deepening their faith. The foundation's centerpiece program, the annual Preaching Excellence Program (PEP), offers seminarians and recent graduates an intensive week of lectures, worship, workshops, and peer feedback on their preaching. The foundation covers most costs, with participants paying only $375 each in equal portions split among the student, their seminary, and their diocese. Since the program's founding in 1988, approximately 2,000 clergy have participated. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, who attended PEP as a seminarian, credited Shilling's mentorship as central to his formation and ministry. The Very Reverend Randy Hollerith and other church leaders praised Shilling's influence on generations of preachers and their congregations.

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Source: Episcopal News Service — https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2026/09/21/gary-shilling-episcopal-churchs-behind-the-scenes-preaching-influencer-to-retire-after-four-decades/