“Why should I pay $100 just to preach for a few minutes?”
That was the question put to me by a young preacher undecided about his own participation in the Festival of Young Preachers. It is a good question, one never before put to me, and I take it seriously. So here is my answer.
First, the young preacher does not pay $100 but his sponsoring and endorsing congregation does, and that is a very little amount to send a strong signal of support to a young person considering a call to gospel preaching. This festival fee paid by 100 endorsing congregations will generate $10,000, which is about one fourth of what is needed to pay for the Festival: printed programs, guest speakers and musicians, complimentary meals, pre-event publicity, and Festival staff.
Second, the Festival puts a young preacher in touch with a national network of other young people, ages 16-28, each intent on some form of preaching ministry. In ministry as in other work environments, networking is a key to opportunity: who you know translates into what doors are open for you. In preaching, it is not all about the job, but a job (the opportunity to serve and lead and preach) is important in ministry and no young person should discount the possibilities that will open up as a result of such national preaching network.
Third, celebrating what God has called you to do is nothing to sneeze at: the poster that we distribute promoting the Festival carries these words: celebrating, supporting, connecting, encouraging, resourcing, empowering and honoring. Any event that does these things is a good event, and every young preacher that comes is both the recipient of these graces and the conduit of these graces to the other young people. That is a good investment of time and money.
And fourth, the Festival is an historic event. Has there ever been such a gathering of young preachers: from all denominations, from all parts of the country, from so many schools and with so many preaching styles? But all with one message: Jesus Christ, sent by God, preaching good news and transforming lives, died for our sins, raised from the dead. These 100 young preachers will be the Charter Members of the Academy of Preachers, and thus in a position to not only shape the Academy but influence hundreds of other young people.
There is my answer: that plus a sixteen minute sermon is not so short! Hope it works: hope it inspire my young preacher to set aside his hesitations and invest his time and the investment of his congregation into the Festival of Young Preachers. To God be the Glory.