The Festival of Homiletics began in 1992 with a gathering of 400 pastors from around the country for the purpose of learning and conversing about preaching in a contemporary context. The Rev. David Howell, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, created the festival as an extension of his preaching journal Lectionary Homiletics.

The Festival’s ownership, leadership, and planning efforts have resided with Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota since 2012. Howell continues to consult in the Festival planning and production process along with a creative team committed to bringing together the finest preaching and the finest cutting-edge thinking about preaching, homiletics, worship, church, and culture.