by Trisha Bleau Smith
T4JYM: How did your ministry form? What led you to become a Christian Comedian?
JF: I began at the age of about 11 with our puppet ministry at my church. I would write sketches and try to win free puppets from Puppet Productions Inc. For every sketch they published, they would send you the puppet of your choice! Later in high school and college I developed characters from popular T.V. shows and put the character in different “real life” situations. People would request different characters and routines. When I finally finished graduate school I went to work at a small Christian college in Florida. I worked in the Development Office and helped to represent the college and raise funds for the school. I quickly realized that people like to listen to a good story. And a really good story encourages people to give more generously! Needless to say…I wanted people to give generously so my stories got better. Soon people were asking me to come to speak at banquets and parties to tell the stories and funny songs. Things just kept getting busier from then to now.
T4JYM: Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten? The future?
JF: Comedy is just getting to a point of universal acceptance in the Christian and business communities. We all have been through enough boring messages and conventions. Comedy helps to pick up the pace of meetings. Messages or talks that use comedy or humor are much more enjoyable to the audience.
I believe that the future is very bright for me as a speaker and humorist. I also desire to move more into a mentoring role for the next generations of comedians. I’ve been on stage a good bit. I receive a great deal of pleasure in launching other talent and developing the ministy in others. I will be hosting a national tour this year called the Hilarity Charity Tour. It is a tour of the top Christian comedians (3 or 4) traveling in larger venues. The “charity” part of the tour is to recruit individuals to support Mission of Mercy, a world relief ministry, during the intermission.
I also have a dream of launching a Christian comedy label that is distributed internationally. Currently there is not a central clearing house for the consumer to purchase the various artists that have recordings. I would like to see a product like WOW comedy or something like that to provide our nation is clean wholesome entertainment and ministry. Too much of the nation’s humor is filthy. I want to provide a positive alternative that’s clean and extremely funny. It can be done!
T4JYM: Do you ever worry about getting caught up in the world of show biz? That success will change you?
JF: The entertainment industry does have a set of morals that are quite different that my personal values. However, the Scriptures admonish us to be salt and light to the world. If we never interface how can we ever expect to make an impact? Be in the world but don’t let the world get into you.
Concerning “success” the manager of a good friend once told me, “Justin, believe your press release for a day and then forget about it.” Most of it is all made up anyway to sell records! Instead of personal “success” I am more interested in personal “significance.” John Maxwell said to me that “success is what I do for myself, but significance is what I do for others.” I try to keep that quote as a guide in my life.
T4JYM: What kind of relationship do you maintain with your audiences? Do you fellowship with them? Or do you remain distant as the performer?
JF: I absolutely fellowship with them. I never want to become a “touch me not” artist. However, there are times when, due to safety, schedules, etc. it is hard to interact one-on-one with everyone who approaches you. Being close to the audience is a key to my success with them as a comedian. Some people can sit in the green room backstage but I prefer to mingle and listen to the people as much as possible.
T4JYM: If you could meet any one person, past, present or future, who would you meet? Why would you choose them? What would you ask them?
JF: Obviously I would want to meet Jesus (who is past, present and future). But I would like to see how he taught and his use of stories, etc. (If you are taking me back in time I would also like to know the language so that I could understand Him!)
T4JYM: Who, or what, are you biggest influences?
JF: My father and mother. Other comedians would be Wendy Bagwell, Mike Warnke, Dr. Dimento, and Garrison Keehler (spelling?).
T4JYM: What is the message you are trying to get across with your comedy? Do you purposely try to share Jesus in every venue or are you there to make them laugh first and foremost?
JF: I try to use humor as a tool to achieve an objective. If the goal is evangelism then it will culminate in a time to receive Christ, however, if the goal is relaxation and a good time, then I work to accomplish that result. I consider myself a servant to the sponsor to compliment what he or she is trying to achieve in their event.
T4JYM: Were you a class clown as a kid?
JF: I don’t think I was considered the class clown because I never wore make-up or wore yarn-ball clothing! Most of my classmates looked to me to provide comic relief in a boring subject or to write interesting sketches, etc. for school assemblies. I was the recipient in high school and college of the class comedian award. Hum?
T4JYM: What is the biggest thing you have learned from performing and ministering through comedy?
JF: A number of other art forms, i.e. music, dance, paint, etc. tend to polarize an audience. Some like it… others don’t. Comedy is a unique medium because almost everyone likes to laugh. Comedy, if done effectively, can unify a group and can reach all ages, genders, socio-economic groups, etc. at the same time. Also, in our present society, people need to laugh. We’re too stressed out. Comedy provide a much need reprieve to the life overload many experience.
T4JYM: Do you ever get criticized for your job?
JF: Sure. If you weren’t close to the edge it wouldn’t be comedy. Some people have no idea the work we put into a good presentation. We make it look simple and effortless, so a lot of people think that since it looks easy it must be easy. That position is easily de-mythed just by offering them the microphone for 1 or 2 minutes. Suddenly they have a newfound respect for your craft.
T4JYM: Do you write your comedy before you perform or do you wing it on stage?
JF: Sometimes things come to you but “winging” is impossible and foolish. You wind up doing stupid junior high antics. What a disaster! Then people who book the “wingers” think that all comedians are that bad and never give us to really work our craft the opportunity to show how wonderfully different it can be.
T4JYM: Who are some of the people you have performed with and what did you think of them?
JF: Bill and Gloria Gaither (great writers and wonderful people), Coach McCartney (great dreamer and doer!), John Maxwell, (leadership builder… loves God), Second Chapter of Acts (pioneer Christian group that helped pave the way for the rest of us touring artists) Mike Warnke (extremely funny and knowledgeable person, loves Jesus despite a few bumps in his career) Bryan Duncan (sarcastic but genuine) Geoff Moore (a true friend to the developing artist). My best friend and fellow comedian, Mike Williams (a real Christian, loves the hurting with compassion).
T4JYM: Are you involved in your home church? What role do you have there?
JF: I am involved in my home church. I participate in as many areas as one can and still maintain a touring ministry. I will volunteer as a guest speaker, teacher, etc. My family is more involved in program areas than me. I’m gone a good bit on weekends in other churches around the country.
T4JYM: Are you involved in any other ministries?
JF: I work as an artist representative with Mission of Mercy. Our goal at Mission of Mercy is to feed, clothe, house, and education children in areas of the world that are impoverished and without hope. I love my association with Mission of Mercy because we are involved in the transformational change of individuals. I also appreciate the frugality of getting the most bang for the buck and not wasting God’s resources with unnecessary administrative beauracracy.
T4JYM: What kind of support do you get from your family? From your church? From your community as a whole?
JF: I couldn’t be a touring artist without the encouragment of my wife, Dretha, and my three children. They sacrifice a lot by allowing me to be gone. However, when I am home, I try to spend quantity and quality time together. My first ministerial responsibility is my own family. That is my first priority.
Living in a smaller town like Lakeland, FL a lot of people know me and know what I do for a living. I feel warmly received by the community. They will often stop me to tell me their latest internet joke or story that they’ve recently heard. Sometimes they actually make me laugh!
T4JYM: Do you have any advice to give to the youth of our world?
JF: Sure. Accept Jesus as your personal Savior and then get to know Him through His Word. You will not always be a young person. The habits you develop now in terms of discipline and work will most likely determine your success in life. Start now to dream and plan. Plan your work and work your plan. Fail to plan, plan to fail.
T4JYM: Was it hard getting started as a Christian Comedian? Can you outline the process it takes to start performing?
JF: You need to be solidly planted in your home church. The reference of your local pastor is very important when you are getting started. Don’t worry at all about fees at first. Just get as much experience as you can in as many different settings. Keep stretching your audience and your material. You should always try to put at least one new item into every performance. Develop material, try it out, rewrite, try it out, rewrite, perform, rewrite, get booked, perform, rewrite, etc… always be writing new material. Stay fresh and continue to develop your craft as a comedian and the venues will find you.
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