Meet the 2026 Omark Preaching Competition winners

This year marks the 59th anniversary of the Edwin J. Omark Preaching Competition, which challenged students to wrestle with one of the foundational questions of the Christian faith: “What is the gospel?” By developing and delivering sermons exploring the meaning, depth, and transforming power of the gospel, students reflected on why the good news of Jesus remains central in a divided and hurting world.

“The gospel is central to the Christian faith. It is what really and truly matters,” says Bethel Seminary Dean Peter Vogt. “In a world where we are divided over politics, secondary theological issues, and just about everything else, it seemed important to ask students to wrestle with what the gospel is, why it matters, and to be able to communicate that effectively to a world in desperate need of the truth of the gospel.”

For the annual competition, Bethel Seminary students submit sermons that are judged on clear communication style, biblical exegesis, personal spiritual formation for both the student and the audience, and an understanding of audience and context. First-, second-, and third-place winners receive scholarship awards, and the first-place recipient is invited to preach at Bethel Seminary’s Preaching Showcase. The competition also recognizes an honorable mention recipient and a Ministry Scholars winner from Bethel’s 3+2 ministry degree pathway.

Meet this year’s winners.

Josh King S’26

With a degree in graphic design and a decade of experience in emergency medical services (EMS) as a 911 dispatcher and paramedic in the Boston area, King brings a diverse background to his preaching. He has spent the past decade in vocational church ministry and is completing his Master of Divinity at Bethel Seminary. He also leads Young Life in the Northeast’s Blackstone Valley, where he mentors teenagers and is helping expand Young Life Capernaum, a ministry serving students with disabilities.

In his sermon, King described the gospel as “category-smashing,” challenging common assumptions about faith and reframing it through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15. He emphasized that the gospel is not about self-improvement, but about moving from death to life through Christ. “The gospel doesn’t make bad people good or sick people healthy—it brings dead people back to life,” he said.

Drawing on his EMS experience, King compared following Jesus to being dispatched on a call—sent with purpose into places of need. He encouraged us to embrace dependence on God, pursue sacrificial love, and see our lives as part of God’s larger story of restoration.

“I learned that the Gospel is timeless,” King says of participating in the competition. “I took the approach of giving a Young Life-style club talk—traditionally aimed at disinterested youth—combined with a sermon. It was encouraging to hear how many adults were still drawn in by personal storytelling and our universal need for relationships.”

Logan Esposito S’26

Esposito currently serves as campus pastor at CrossWay Church in Sussex, Wisconsin, and is completing his Master of Theological Studies. He holds an undergraduate pre-seminary degree from Trinity International University and has served as a licensed pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance for five years. 

In his sermon, Esposito defined the gospel as “the defeat of the enemy of God,” identifying that enemy as death. Drawing on the New Testament concept of euangelion, or “good news,” he described the gospel as a victory announcement that reshapes how people live in the present. He emphasized that death is not a natural or neutral force, but the result of sin and separation from God.

Esposito pointed to Jesus as the one who confronts and overcomes that enemy. As a “new Adam,” Jesus lived the life humanity was meant to live and entered into death not for His own sin, but on behalf of others. Through His resurrection, Esposito said, Jesus decisively defeated death, freeing believers from its power.

Because of this victory, Esposito challenged us to live without fear—no longer driven by self-preservation, but marked by radical love, forgiveness, and a present experience of eternal life.

He says initially it felt strange to preach “competitively,” but the process was refining. “I'm used to writing sermons that are 30 to 40 minutes, so I was stretched to write more concisely to shorten what should be said while not compromising clarity,” he explains. In full-time ministry the whole time he’s been in seminary, Esposito says he’s appreciated the opportunity to apply what he’s learning in his day-to-day work, particularly in the area of biblical interpretation. 

Levi Case ’24, S’27

After graduating from Bethel in December 2024 with a B.A. in biblical and theological studies, Case began pursuing his Master of Divinity at Bethel Seminary and plans to graduate in May 2027. This spring, he will begin serving as a pastoral resident at Five Oaks Church in Woodbury, Minnesota, where he’ll apprentice under experienced pastors and continue developing his voice in preaching. 

In his sermon, Case defined the gospel as “God’s desire, God’s pursuit revealed through the body and blood of Jesus to restore humanity.” He framed the gospel not simply as a set of beliefs, but as God’s active response to human separation. Drawing from Genesis 3 and the Gospels, he described how people often hide from God through distraction or avoidance, echoing patterns seen throughout Scripture.

Focusing on the Last Supper, Case highlighted Jesus’ invitation to communion even in the face of betrayal, emphasizing the new covenant established through His body and blood. He summarized the gospel’s impact through three movements: reconcile, recreate, and restore—bringing people back into relationship with God and renewing what was broken. Ultimately, he pointed us to “the garden” as a picture of God’s goal: restored, unbroken communion with His people.

“Lectures and reading fill me. In-person class, discussions, and small groups prepare me to give an answer for my faith, and opportunities like the Omark competition make me more exact so that I can share my love of Jesus more effectively,” says Case. “I honor that this competition is merit-based, because it pushes preachers to be dedicated to excellence and genuine effort.”

Marcus Knight S’26

Knight lives in Mosinee, Wisconsin, with his wife and their three daughters and recently stepped into the role of lead pastor at Good News Church. Prior to this, he served for seven years as associate pastor of youth and worship, where he developed a passion for discipling students and leading congregational worship. He is completing his Master of Divinity at Bethel Seminary and will graduate this spring.

In his sermon, Knight described the gospel as the story of God restoring everything—not only rescuing people, but redeeming all of creation. He challenged the common view of salvation as an escape plan, instead presenting the gospel as God’s commitment to renew the entire world. “The good news isn’t just that God saves people from a sinking ship,” he said. “It’s that He’s saving the ship, too.”

Walking through the biblical narrative, Knight framed the gospel in four movements: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. He emphasized that sin brought brokenness not just to humanity, but to all creation, and that Jesus’ sacrificial love was part of God’s plan from the beginning. Through the resurrection, he said, God initiated the renewal of all things, promising a future where creation is fully restored.

Knight also highlighted the tension of living in the “already and not yet,” where believers experience new life in Christ while still longing for complete restoration. He encouraged us to participate in God’s redemptive work now—living with hope, extending grace, and reflecting God’s love in a world still waiting to be made new.

Emily Eagen ’27

A junior at Bethel University, Eagen is pursuing a double major in missional ministries and biblical and theological studies through Bethel’s Ministry Scholars program. She plans to continue her education in graduate school and hopes to serve vocationally in pastoral ministry through preaching and discipleship. 

In her sermon, Eagen answered the question “What is the gospel?” by reframing it not simply as a message about salvation, but as the revelation of God Himself. “God has revealed himself to be the gospel. He is the good news,” she said. While affirming the importance of Christ’s death and resurrection, she emphasized that the gospel’s transformative power comes through personally encountering the living Christ.

Drawing from Exodus 3, John 3, and Matthew 28, Eagen traced how God continually reveals Himself throughout Scripture. She described God’s words to Moses—“I am who I am”—as the beginning of the gospel story: God making Himself known to His people. She then pointed to Jesus as God revealed fully in human form, bringing life out of darkness and death, and concluded with Christ’s promise to remain with His people always.

She concluded by encouraging us to become witnesses to where Christ is actively bringing life in the midst of grief, doubt, suffering, and darkness. “The good news is not only that God did something once,” Eagen said, “it’s that God is here now.”

“I realized through writing this sermon that I knew the story of the gospel and the gifts resulting from the gospel, but couldn’t clearly articulate what the gospel was itself,” Eagen says. “This process was formative for me as I wrestled through this question before the Lord and tried to faithfully articulate it.”

Listen to the next generation of ministry leaders.

Hear this year’s Omark Preaching Competition sermons and see how Bethel Seminary equips students to preach with biblical conviction, pastoral wisdom, and gospel-centered leadership.

Learn more