One of my favorite blogs to visit belongs to Brant Hansen: Letters from Kamp Krusty
Brant is the morning DJ on WAYFM in South Florida. His on-air personality is not quite the same as his blog personality - something I haven't quite figured out yet. But I do enjoy the biting edge that is present on his blog. He regularly sticks his neck out much further than I do and with a lot more to lose too.
Here is his latest post, in its entirety:
There's this one Pastor who doesn't like Pirate Pastors! Pirate Pastors are pastors who start competition where there are already churches!
This pastor started his church in the unreached area of Grapevine, Texas! He's expanded into other frontiers, like Dallas! And he's also now franchised in South Florida, where we didn't have any churches! I'm glad we've got one, now!
It's BAD when pastors take business away from other pastors! Like this Pastor says, if people did that in the corporate world -- stole business -- they'd be in JAIL!
Piracy is bad, because pirates take money that really doesn't belong to them -- and they use it for themselves! They pretend they're kings, but it's not their money! I hate pirates for doing that, and I'll bet you do, too!
I'm glad, at least, that his church hasn't been completely plundered! They still have enough of God's money to build an arcade and climbing wall and $16 million ultra-awesome Communications Building and they're building a Church Lake so that more dads will bass-fish with their kids on church grounds and they're asking people to give sacrificially for the new "Town and Country" program to build an awesome new retreat center and they also have a bookstore full of the Pastor's own books and videos and a cafe that has coffee cups printed with the Pastor's favorite recipes!
Stupid pirates haven't gotten everything, yet!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Letters from Kamp Krusty
Posted by revolution at 7:30 PM
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9 comments:
You wrote: "His on-air personality is not quite the same as his blog personality - something I haven't quite figured out yet."
Interesting observation.
WAYfm is overtly in the genre of "Christian Consumerism." Not unlike the Pirate Pastors. Funny how easy it is to continuously rip the very thing that pays the bills.
Where's the disconnect?
FTR: I love Brant and consider him a friend. I think his heart is for changing the way people live out their faith.
To be perfectly honest, his on-air personality smacks of those "goody-two shoes" Christians that give me the creeps. I never cared for his on-air personality, though I understand that that is what is expected of you if you are to be a successful Christian radio DJ.
I'm entertained by the way he lets it all out on his blog.
Kind of like the way that Bob Saget does his filthy stand-up acts after doing the the sqeaky clean Full House and America's Funniest Videos.
Hey guys...appreciate the insights.
I have the *exact* same agenda for the blog and for my radio show, as it turns out. But they are vastly different audiences.
FWIW, it creeps ME out when I sound like a goody-two-shoes type. That's a failure of execution. In my defense, it's a job that very, very few can pull off, so I have to try to cut myself some slack. I get down on myself daily.
The funny thing is, I have a rep in the industry for being VERY honest and challenging, from talking about my depression and medication to talking more about Jesus than any other host I've heard. But for anyone looking for harmony between my blog outlet and my job, it would seem like thin gruel, I understand.
There's no way I can talk about Ed Young on the show, for instance, because it would presume a level of sophistication, and background knowledge, in a limited field. Radio doesn't work that way. 99% of the audience has no clue who Ed Young is. I have to pick my spots, and approach, based on who I'm with.
Yesterday, I mentioned, on-air, how people who listen to Christian music or go to church think that's what it means to be a Christian, but actually God hatest that stuff if he doesn't have your heart. This is a recurring theme, and it ticks people off. The irony is that I field calls and letters of indignation routinely, even as I, myself, wonder if I'm being challenging enough, or whether I came off as fake when I said whatever I just said. I blow it a lot.
Same agenda, though. Different approaches, befitting the audience. While the CCM industry is all about consumerism, I'm trying to speak to their audience and get them to give their money to the poor. I was raised in this realm, so I figure I'm a somewhat qualified missionary to these people. You can't change that which you do not first love, and if I'm perceived as a friend, any correction I offer will be welcomed more easily. So I gotta pick my spots, and I do. Like the entire last week, when I told people, repeatedly, that if you don't give to the poor, if you don't have a heart for the least of these, you're not following Jesus. All week.
As for "paying the bills", I can get a mainstream job at a mainstream station and make enough to pay yours, too. ...but I feel like I have unique experiences and abilities that make me qualified for this, for now. I don't know. I do think God is blessing us here. I *hope* He is pleased with my agenda.
BTW, I wasn't ripping pirate pastors, as defined by Ed Young. I was ripping Ed Young's viewpoint. May want to re-read the post.
Totally appreciate any prayers you could send my way to accomplish our shared purpose. Our show is going national in a couple weeks. I'm hoping it's because God is pleased with my heart for this -- I'm hoping that's why he's allowing this, or making this, happen. I don't want to blow the opportunity.
Best,
Brant
Brant,
I have to confess that I don't listen to the "talky" parts of WAYFM for more than 5 seconds at a time - unless they're doing traffic.
I listen to WAYFM for the music, and I listen to Paul and Young Ron for the talk-stuff.
The first time I came across your blog, though, I thought, "That can't possibly be the same guy." Even your picture doesn't fit the mental image I had.
Interestingly, reading your blog hasn't caused me to listen to your morning show more. Christian radio is a barrier that is hard for me to overcome.
Congratulations on the national exposure though.
Dudes,
I just have to say, when you brought up Bob Saget I laughed my, shall we say bottom, off (I have two young kid). Bob Saget..I love it! When is the last time I got to talk about Bob Saget? So good.
As for Brant...you are doing a great job. Don't beat yourself up everyday. I like to do that to myself but I realize that I am where I am supposed to be right now and so are you.
The fact that you ARE paying the bills in a consumer driven market of Christianity is a bit ironic in many ways. It's the same for me but if you and I had a mainstream job in mainstream markets we wouldn't be doing what we are doing in the capacity we are doing it. I know we both dislike the idea but I wonder if, like you say, "God is pleased with my heart" then maybe it's okay. I don't think that God minds if you make enough money to feed your kids. The people who send tithes and offerings to keep WAYfm and you on the radio obviously do it for a reason - they like what you do.
As for the pirate pastors...I'm sorry I misread your post. I get carried away when I see something about pirates and the idea of them being pastors and now Rev. brings up Bob Saget. It's just too much for me to take in one sitting.
I'm bringing coffee by next week if that's cool.
In the corporate world, taking business away from a another is not a crime, it is competition.
Maybe the issue was that the new church plant wasn't using (or paying for) his material. (http://www.creativepastors.com/specials.php)
I wonder if Paul would have felt this way?
1 Corinthians 3:1-10
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able {to receive it.} Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not {mere} men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave {opportunity} to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
It seems as though Paul was more concerned with the growth of individual believers than the growth of a corporation from which he would draw his pay.
Here's another corporate analogy. Can you say hostile takeover?
http://www.creativepastors.com/merge.php
Instead, of "stealing" a few sheep, Fellowship Church is in the market for complete churches.
Nice.
When Brant and I left a particular church to start a new one we got scolded and a bit slandered by the leadership of the church we were leaving. They told me that in business there would be a no compete clause and we were forbidden to talk with any of the parishioners of that church.
I didn't know we were in a competition. I thought we were trying to tell non-believers about Jesus.
I guess this is what happens when a corporate model is applied and church becomes another word for building buildings, maintaining buildings, paying salaries and the bottom line.
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