Copyright Good and Bad

7

Yesterday I received a note from someone who wanted to know my views on those who use my material in their own preaching and writing. It seems that he had run across an unusual case (at least it is unusual in my experience) and wanted to know my opinion. How do I feel when I find out that other people out there somewhere, unnamed and unknown to me, use what they find on the Keep Believing website in their own preaching and teaching and writing? Do I consider it a violation of some sort? Is it “cheating” to use material you find on the Internet? Here is how my correspondent put the matter:

Thanks for your excellent sermonic material on Crosswalk.com.
Is your material copyrighted on Crosswalk.com or can one use it as his/her own material?

I recently heard of a preacher delivering your sermon as his own, without giving your any credit.  Thank you for helping me understand whether or not this breaks copyright laws for your material.

Here is the gist of my answer:

1. My major writing is found not on Crosswalk.com but at www.keepbelieving.com. There you will find 825 full-text sermons along with over 100 podcasts and hundreds of articles and blog entries. All of it is free for downloading.

2. We copyright the sermons in order to prevent egregious misuse. 

3. Basically we understand that the Internet is pretty much like the Wild West where anything goes. People copy and cut and paste from all sources all the time. And there seems to be no real way to stop it. So I tell people they are welcome to use my material in their own study and preparation. I say that simply because they can do it anyway, and I don’t want to have to worry about it.

4. I have written about this topic in an article called Pastoral Plagiarism. 

5. It’s just plain dumb to preach another man’s sermon and pass it off as you own. That sort of thing catches up with you eventually.

6. We know of many pastors and Christian workers around the world who come to the Keep Believing website to find material for their own sermons and Bible studies. We’re delighted to be of service to our brothers and sisters in other countries who may not have access to good resources.

7. I have a friend in China who pastors a house church. He has been using my sermons for three years to learn how to preach, but he takes out the American illustrations, adds Chinese illustrations, and modifies the sermon to fit his own audience. The result is that the sermon may start with me but it is truly Chinese in the end.

8. If the man you are talking about is literally preaching my sermons word for word, well, I’m not upset about it, but I think it’s a sign of bad habits that will destroy his ministry in the end. 

9. Better that someone should read our material, take what they want, use it, amend it, improve it, and make it their own.

10. As the wise man said, “Milk many cows, but make your own butter.”

11. If people want to help us somehow, mention our website. I would rather people know about www.keepbelieving.com than about me personally. 

12. We know there are many excellent Internet resources for sermons and Bible studies. We list some of the best on our Recommended Resources page. 

I encourage people to use what they find on our website, assuming that they will amend it, improve it, and make it their own. I hope it leads to more people finding and using our material. I am not worried about whether or not someone mentions my name. We’re all in this together for the sake of the Kingdom. And if we’re not in it for the Kingdom, what are we in it for?

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Visitor Comments:

January 29, 2010, 6:58 AM WOLCharlie says:
	Good note, Pastor Ray. Very balanced in your reply. I have utilized others materials in some of my own sermons and when I do, it just makes sense to give credit where credit is due. Of course, if blame is due, it’s my own head. :) Thanks for the reasoned response.
January 29, 2010, 8:12 AM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	The statement that attends Keep Believing Ministries’ copyright is very similar to John Piper/Desiring God Ministries’ statement and policy, which basically prevents people from compiling our sermons and publishing them for profit. Churches and people are free to print out the sermons and redistribute them liberally as long as they don’t violate this principle.
January 29, 2010, 9:29 AM Ellis says:
	Well said, Pastor Ray.
January 29, 2010, 3:58 PM Daniel Darling says:
	That is really a good reply. The truth is, Ray, don’t we all borrow material in some way from those who’ve gone before? This is what seasons our preaching and writing, isn’t it? To preach another man’s sermon is a miscarriage of your responsibility because God has called you to say something unique, but often that is said with the help of others. Ray, your sermons are a huge blessing to young pastors like myself. Just to see the way you frame things and take deep theological issues and bring them home. Thanks for putting your work and ministry out there for us to consider.
January 29, 2010, 4:32 PM butch88 says:
	You are just a wonderful big heart ed SAINT and willing to give your all to anyone that wants to use your material. You know GOD is watching and with out mention of your name, he knows that it is you who takes all the credit to move spirits through other users in some cases.AMEN
January 29, 2010, 6:05 PM Patrick Sullivan says:
British / Australian . Retired Pastor. Hospital Chaplain. Creator and Webmaster of www.jesuschristonly.com	Hi Ray. My website ‘www.jesuschristonly.com’ would be the poorer with out the seven Ray Prichard sermons, all focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. Our site meter tells us that your sermon ‘Where is Jesus When you need him?’ is one of the most popular on the site. Thanks for your permission to post them, we are looking forward in 2010 to post more. Thanks Pat
January 29, 2010, 9:03 PM DAVID ANG says:
semi-retired semicon saleman , got saved in 97.	DERA PASTOR RAY , IT IS GREAT TO BE BLESSED BY YOUR SERMONS. ANF MINISTRY ......I USED YOUR SERMONS ON CHRTSIAN GIVING AND ADDED IN MY OLD TESTIMONIES AND TRIALS...... FOR CHURCH OF SINGAPORE BUKIT TMAH......BRETREN .....IT WAS A BLESSINGS THAT THE LEADERS SAID THANK YOU BECAUSE THEY SELDOM PREACH ON THIS TOPICS , THEY USED A BOXES TO COLLECT OFFERING/TITHES... WHAT A BLESSINGS YOUIR MINISTRY ? YOUR ARE RIGHT WE ARE HERE FOR THE SAKE OF KINGDOM.....SOON MANY WILL USED YOUR MANDARIN SERMONS..IN THE WEB IN ASIA ....GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ...D ANG