The Capitalization of Christian Women

Women have dreams. Where there are dreams, there is money to be made.

I will not make it a habit of writing twice in one week, but something made me “spicy”—and when a Puerto Rican gets spicy, it’s best to let them air out.

Yesterday, I received an email that asked me a series of questions like this:

“Do you feel like everyone else has a guidebook on fulfilling their dreams and you don’t?”

“Are you wondering if you need a social media presence to write a book?”

“Are you concerned that you can’t simply write from your heart anymore?”

The e-mail closes, saying, “We are that guidebook for you and will support you on this journey.”

When I clicked on the link, it told me that for only $35 a month, or $100 for three months (the popular deal), or $350 a year; I could receive support on how to navigate the world of publishing the Christian book I’ve been dreaming about writing. Becoming a part of their cohort not only gives me access to all this great advice I cannot see until I pay, but it also offers me the opportunity to pay an extra $300 in addition to The $800 general ticket I can buy to go to their annual conference, for a workshop specific to writers.

It’s snake oil.

It’s gatekeeping.

It’s a different kind of prosperity gospel.

Why are they capitalizing on Christian women’s dreams? Because they know they will pay. They know many Christian women want to write, speak, and become influencers. How do I know this? A la Hair Club for Men—I was one of them. It was my scene.

This organization must know the stats. They must know the small percentage of women who publish a book, become a speaker, or profit from being an influencer. Do you know what else they know? Women have dreams. Where there are dreams, there is money to be made.

I need to remember to unsubscribe from their email list. Years ago, when I had an insatiable desire to be a speaker, I was desperate to attend their conference—but I was priced out by the $800‚ an investment they called it. Besides, if I were going to go, I would “upgrade” my registration, which cost $925, so I could have the “all-access” ticket. All access to what? They do not say.

Then, this morning, I received another email (I know, I’ll unsubscribe). They made another attempt to convince me to sign up. This time, the words were more tempting. The title of the email said something like, “Let’s publish your book!” The email said this was my “chance” to speak to a publisher. It said that if I signed up, I might have the opportunity to write for the ministry’s website or be featured on one of the social media platforms. It asked me, “Why are you waiting?”

I thought, “This is like Amway.”

With any multi-level marketing company, the primary purchasers of the products are the people selling them. For most, there is no return on their investment. The scam is that the company all but promises a return on their investment, but the only ones who profit are on the top. This ministry and others like it are in business to make money, and there is a lot of money to be made from the hopes of dreams fulfilled.

When ministries capitalize on people’s dreams, it's like they are capturing the person’s dream, blowing it with hot air by playing on fear and releasing it only to watch it deflate from frustration. Those dreamers will say, “I did everything they told me. I hustled, wrote, went to the workshops, paid for the training, and nothing happened.”

In my first newsletter, I said that these ministries are irresponsible. Today, I say that this business of capitalizing on women’s dreams by playing to their fears and insecurities is wrong.

I’m not here for it.

It is a beautiful thing to have a dream to work toward. I was not a big fan of Disney’s newest animated film, Wish, but I liked the part where they talked about unfulfilled dreams. The villain in this movie uses magic to make the villagers forget their wishes after they have made it. Then, he locks the wishes up with no plans to fulfill them. The heroine argues with the villain that he should return the wishes because everyone deserves a dream. She claimed that even if the dream never comes true, they deserve to know about it to feel fulfilled trying to achieve it.

That’s what happens to dreams—they come true, go unfulfilled, or change and morph over time. God uses them in different and surprising ways; look at what he did with Israel’s son Joseph.

If Christian ministries sincerely want to foster talent in individuals, they should find women whose work they are inspired by and mentor them. If it's a good fit, after the mentorship, they can offer them a publishing deal or an opportunity to write for their platform and be paid for it. Many other creative ways exist to find talent instead of compelling hardworking women to spend hundreds of dollars to break into the business.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.