Christian speakers & artists charging huge fees

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Look over Keith Drury’s Shoulder as he answers his mail

QUESTION

Don’t you think it is wrong for a Christian speaker to go around proclaiming a gospel message but charging a huge fee for his time? Is it morally right for a Christian speaker to charge a great deal of money to preach the gospel?

--Student

MY ANSWER

You’d think a Christian speaker would have a moral obligation to charge a fee that is sensible and not outrageous wouldn’t you? Charging “whatever the traffic will bear” is a time-honored principle of free enterprise…but you’d think Christian speakers and musicians would have a different approach wouldn’t you? After all, thousands of pastors preach the gospel for barely minimum wage all their lives.

So why would a famous Christian actor, or speaker or musical group charge thousands of dollars for an “appearance.” There are at least two reasons I can discern:

1) They are not really “preachers” but entertainers. People in entertainment can demand high fees. Some think the salaries paid to those in sports or to movie stars is outrageous when there are teachers or nurses doing far more important work that get paid so low. But the high pay is not that what they do is worthy. Is there anyone in the world who thinks hitting a baseball is as eternally as important as teaching a child?) No. The reason ball players get paid so much is they are in entertainment—and they sell their fame on the open market. People are willing to come and watch them play the game, even though they are skilled at something of minor consequence. And they come because they are famous. Fame is an asset just like diamonds or gold—it can be “cashed in.” Fame is transferable to money. A famous actor or speaker (Christian or not) can turn their fame for cash—people will pay to see them, hear them, have their book or CD, even have their picture taken with them. What drives people to pay for being next to fame is of course quite embarrassing when examined from a psychological perspective, but nevertheless it is true—a famous person can charge you to see them. Even where there is no admission fee, institutions are just like people—they clamor to identify with the fame of people hoping some will spill over on them, they too want to have the famous person’s picture taken in the institutional setting. Institutions (including churches) will pay huge sums of money to get a famous person speak or a famous musical group to perform for them. All that to say that their “going rate” is directly proportional to their fame in most cases—fame can be traded in the open market of speaker-fees. So, remember, some high-priced speakers and singers may claim to be ministers and ministering –and they actually might be coming to minister—but their audience doesn’t come to receive their ministry—they come merely to identify with the person’s fame. Can you imagine how frustrating this could be for a famous person who really feels like God has given them a message for the church? They hunger to be taken seriously, to be heard soberly, to be considered as a spokesman for God—but their audience totally ignores their message as they focus totally on the speakers or musician’s fame. Charging $500 or $5000 makes no difference in this matter—it is the curse of being famous—few people take your message as serious as your fame.

2) The second (and more important reason) for huge fees is famous people have been burned when they give away their labor. If a speaker or musical group just asks for $500, what will happen to their schedule? First they will get a thousand invitations for every one they can fill, so where does that get them? They can’t go anyway can they? Thus even if they went for $500 they would not get to minister to any more people—indeed the places willing to pay the high fees often have the largest audiences. But more important they’ve got burned when people make a giant profit on them. When a famous person agrees to come and minister for $500, the sponsor often turns around and makes a giant profit off their generosity—either in cash or in a public relations bonanza—either way it is profit. Does the sponsoring organization give this profit to poor pastors or struggling missionaries? Not likely—they keep it. So some honorable speakers and musicians (after watching Christian sponsors use them like this) decide to charge their “going rate” then “do their own giving”—giving the proceeds to needy people or organizations. They have determined that their best way to practice Christian Stewardship is not to give away their services cheap but to give away the fees after they’ve got them. They’ve decided they are actually more generous than the people inviting them. Some even say that this is the only way money gets given outside of North America—when they give their time free to an organization the organization simply uses the profits for themselves in the USA—but when they charge these rich Christians (and rich Christian institutions) a fair fee (and a “fair fee” is whatever the organization is wiling to pay) then they can give to overseas ministries transferring Christian case from the rich nations to poorer ones.

So which is it for the speaker to which you refer?

1. Are they actually doing the kingdom of God a favor by charging high fees so they can channel this cash to really needy people we wouldn’t give to normally—but would keep the money for ourselves? If they are, they are heroes of the faith and I hope their fame increases and they’ll charge higher fees. For anyone who transfers pizza money or slick-brochure money and sends it to needy people around the world is doing a good thing.

2. Or is this famous Christian just out to make a buck? Does these words from the apostle Paul describe them: Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. (2 Cor. 2:17) If so, if they are simply out making a buck on the gospel I am tempted to angrily condemn them…to tell everyone what shameful behavior this is, to wag my finger at them and shake my head. And I do that most of the time. At least I do that until I read the apostle Paul’s other comment on this subject: The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition…But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. (Philippians. 1:17-18) I usually can’t rise up to Paul’s standard of generosity. But I want to.

Keith

So, what would you add?

To suggest additional insights I missed write to Keith@TuesdayColumn.com