Environmentally friendly, commercially available BiPh3 reacts with heavy alkaline-earth metals (Ae) and bulky trimethylsilylamines to give the corresponding amides [Ae{N(SiMe3)(R)}2(thf)n] (R=SiMe3, 2,4,6-Me3C6H2, 2,6-iPr2C6H3) in good yields, providing proof of concept for a general synthetic method.