Minister’s Workshop: Why Not Write a Newspaper Column?

Sharing the Gospel of Christ is the priority of today’s minister and he is constantly searching for ways to expand his outreach. Thousands of missionaries, pastors, and evangelists use the radio to teach and preach. Television, though much more expensive than radio, is being used by others in their attempts to reach people.

One medium, the newspaper, is often ignored by pastors. It can become the means through which a ministry can explode beyond the walls of a church. And the syndicated newspaper column is the way to do it.

Several years ago I tried to find ways to evangelize the person who did not attend church or read religious books and articles. I got copies of newspapers from several states and searched them carefully for the type of material published most often. Religious columns appeared frequently. Sunday School lessons, question-and-answer columns on a number of subjects, and various church-oriented articles were abundant. But one thing was missing—a human interest column with a moral punch-line.

I discussed my interest in writing a column of this type with a local newspaper editor. He said, “I’ll be happy to publish your column if you will dig in and get the material to me each week.” He told me that his experience with some people wanting to write columns was not a happy one. As the newness wore off, and the pressure of meeting a weekly deadline mounted, most aspiring columnists gave up. So, I wrote several samples of a column for his evaluation. We selected the name “Mountain Moments” to try to capture the attention of a large segment of readers.

I keep the column simple. I don’t write on theological subjects nor do I preach. However, the strong overtones let the reader know that there is something deeper here than just the subject discussed. A recent column tells of a trip to Washington, D.C., and an interview with Pat Boone and Charles Colson. Woven into the story is a meeting with Cleavant Derricks, who has written hundreds of gospel songs, and the column closes with the punch-line: “And once again we are reminded that sometimes ‘just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.’ ”

My name was unknown outside the area where I lived so I bought a copy of “Editor and Publisher” and methodically wrote a personal letter to each newspaper in my home state offering them the column. I then wrote a similar letter to editors in adjoining states. For those outside the mountains the name “Country Clipboard” was used to avoid regional identity. The material, however, is the same. I use human interest stories, incidents from my background, and items of folklore, but each column contains a moral.

When the requests for the column were returned on the postage paid card I had enclosed, I sent a news release, a picture, and four columns to the newspaper. The news release gave personal information and announced that the new column was to be a weekly feature.

Most of the cost of the column is for envelopes (printed with my logo) and paper. I can mail at least two articles at one time and I send them by first class mail. The columns are mimeographed and mailed a month in advance. A copy is dated and filed as part of the permanent record.

At the end of each column a tag identifies me and I frequently request readers to write to me. I have received several hundred letters since the column first appeared. Some simply offer compliments, others request additional information, and a few suggest topics for a future column. Sometimes I use the letters themselves in a column.

“Mountain Moments” and “Country Clipboard” now appear in 192 newspapers in seventeen states each week. I am able to speak to hundreds of thousands of people who may never see me or hear me preach. Through the newspaper I can regularly visit in many homes.

Every pastor has the same opportunity to syndicate a newspaper column. Here are some suggestions.

1. Design a good letterhead. Editors can’t see you in person, so you must invest some thought and money to have a simple, yet attractive letterhead. Don’t forget envelopes, either.

2. Learn how to write a good letter. Address it to a person. Letters addressed to nobody are thrown in file 13. Offer your idea or column in as few words as possible. Never send out form letters.

3. Be sure to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope or card. If you don’t, you may never see your material again. Editors are swamped with promotional material so make yours easy to return.

4. Begin small. Don’t try to land a large daily. Write for a weekly or a small daily. Get an article with your name on it and send reprints to other editors.

5. Be an expert. Write about something you know. Do research if necessary, but don’t go out on a limb and write about something you’re not sure of.

6. Wait on the Lord. Don’t be impatient. A lack of space will be the most common reason for rejection, especially if the feature is untried. However, one thing leads to another and editors want to publish popular material.

You can be a newspaper columnist. A minister has the most important product in the world to sell, so why not use the newspaper column to share your faith.—K. MAYNARD HEAD. Director of Public Relations, Clear Creek Baptist School, Pineville, Kentucky.

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