Faith Voyeur

10admin • 1st Jun 2009 • Tweets • faith, pastor, social media

Photo Credit: Tyla'75

A gentleman this past weekend at our Ministry 2.0 Kansas City event asked a very interesting question that got me thinking. We had been discussing social media tools and how they can be used to enhance ministry. Many of us, including myself, were touting how a pastor could use Twitter and Facebook to keep an ear to the ground – staying connected to the needs of his/her congregation without having to actively engage in every living moment of their lives. Then came the question, and I’m paraphrasing, “I’m uncomfortable with the invasive nature of social media in the lives of church members. Should the church be involved in this practice?”  I have to admit, the question caught me off guard. I responded with, in retrospect, what was a non-answer – explaining that the etiquette of social media is still in its infancy and that questions like his will be answered over time. I also sweetened my answer with some jargon about how the millennial generation is transparent online.

So Sunday, during my 9 hour drive home, I spent some time pondering his question. This is the beginnings of how I would have liked to have responded.

I do believe that the etiquette of social media is being established and will continue well into the future – much like the rules of online bulletin boards were established years ago. I’ve found that each social media tool has its own rules for the road. I tend to be much more open about my personal life in Facebook than I do in say LinkedIn. For me, Facebook is for connecting with family and friends – LinkedIn is for business associates.  And from experience, I know that many of my friends and colleagues have their own gauge of openness. It’s up to each individual to set their gauge – knowing that there are consequences for their actions.

Years ago, I was responsible for managing a directory of pastors and their contact information. From time-to-time I received requests from pastors asking that I not display their contact information – keep in mind that we were only displaying church contact information, not their personal contact information. The same contact information that they displayed in their yellow page advertisement. While I would comply with their request, my views on the role of pastor as public servant were solidified during this time. My view … a pastor lives in the public eye – a calling they have chosen to answer. As such, the public ought to have a way to be in contact.

Each of us makes a choice to open our lives to the world online. Some tweet every living moment, others opt to not participate. It’s not my job to judge which is right or wrong. I do firmly believe that the role of pastor has become much more complex and is an uphill battle to keep people focused on Christ’s Message. Call me a hardliner on the subject, but if you’re willing to share your life online – be prepared for the world to be watching … including your pastor.