By Milo Haskour —
A lawsuit related Newsboys’ fall from grace has revealed that in-concert solicitation of donations for needy children around the world is BIG BUSINESS.
Yes, a business. According to a lawsuit brought by Wes Campbell, owner of the Newsboys, he stood to make $50M from the kickbacks-for-promo scheme. You thought it was Christian charity, but Campbell called it a business, as reported by the Roys Report.
“Ninety-nine percent of audiences would be shocked and disillusioned to hear how this works and what is being kept from them,” says David Zach of Remedy Drive. The model is “morally ambiguous at best.”
Zach is one of the few Christian musicians who says he doesn’t profit off of tear-jerk videos. He supports his own efforts to fight human trafficking without receiving remuneration.
Other bands — like MercyMe, Tauren Wells, Danny Gokey and Micah Tyler — have signed on for kickbacks that can account for up to a full year of donations to non profits like World Vision, ChildFund, Feed The Hungry and Compassion International, Roys Report says.
When the scheme was concocted, it was presented as win-win. Christian bands like to support Christian causes. Charities found it was cost-effective to raise money. The bands were rewarded for helping out.
But there was a missing element. The public, apparently, wasn’t informed.
Was there any disclosure in the presentations? We’re your favorite band. We vouch for this charity. Your giving to help such-and-such people in the underdeveloped world.
“Y’all really out here profiting off the back of starving children in Jesus name?” complained @joshuarcrocker on Threads.
Podcaster Jamie Goldwater refused a similar deal because she says it felt “icky” to make money per child sponsored.
The Faith Adjacent show host and her employer Popcast Media Group turned down a $200/child offer and instead negotiated an annual fee, she says.
“It’s pretty easy to justify and to be like, well, we’re really changing people’s lives. But when you’re not disclosing it,” Golden adds. “So we negotiated the contract where we were like, ‘No, we’re not going to make money (per child).’ They’re like, ‘We’ve never done a contract like that.’”
Campbell’s lawsuit says that the aftermath of frontman Michael Tait’s exposure for drugs and sexual misconduct constituted a “conspiracy” to deprive him of his business profits. He named defendants MercyMe, World Vision and the Roys Report, who broke the story.
Campbell owns Newsboys Inc. and Thriving Children Advocates, which apparently pioneered the model of linking charities and bands. Campbell says he was set to sell Thriving Children to a Dutch Holding Company, Waterland, for $50M. Much of the lawsuits centers around “defamation” in the Roys Report article.
The Roys Report‘s exposé prompted Tait to confess on Instagram, quit the band and seek recovery for drug and alcohol abuse. He also admitted to making unwanted sexual advances on men.
Artists could substantially improve their earnings per concert via the kickback-per-fan-sponsor scheme. According the lawsuit, musicians make between $200 and $500 per sponsor.
Since the scandal broke, Newsboys have not been touring.
Other sources: RNS, others.
