Non-PRO Afrikaans to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature

"He has tried to read 'Ewige Genesing', but it is too boring [it is a book by one of the elder relatives of the author]... He and his father have long-standing jokes about [the writer]. They intone the title of his book in the sententious, sing-song manner of a 'predikant', drawing out the vowels: 'Deur 'n gevaaaarlike krannnnnkheid tot eeeewige geneeeeeesing.'

can you simply explain what, or perhaps rather who a 'predikant' is, please?