Poking, tweeting and blogging may not generally have been regarded as becoming behaviour for the parsons of yesteryear but today’s vicars are being urged to make the most of modern methods of communication.
They’re being encouraged to use websites such as Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with their flock, pin notices of events and help spread the Gospel they preach beyond the reach of the pulpit.
Guidance and advice on social media is being published by the Church in Wales this week, pointing out the advantages – and the possible pitfalls – for clergy keen to reach out to the online community. It includes a summary of new media and explains how sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Flickr can be used effectively and responsibly as part of parish life.
Launching the guide, the Bishop of St Asaph, Gregory Cameron, who is on Facebook himself, said social media offered great opportunities for the clergy to connect with the wider world.
He said, “It has never been easier to keep in touch with other people – and people all over the world from wherever we are. We can keep people up-to-date with what’s going on, generate discussions and debates and offer help and advice to those in need. The Church should be part of the public marketplace, and making contact in new ways are an opportunity not a threat. I’m sure St Paul would have been a regular blogger had the technology been available to him.
“It would be an obvious failing if any of us became glued to our computer screens in a way which replaced or pushed aside face to face contact, but social networks provide real ways to keep in contact and build a sense of common life. We are not advising clergy to reduce the time they spend out and about meeting people in their parishes, but we are keen to be part of the huge online community at our fingertips and serve those who surf.”
The Church in Wales Social Media guidelines for clergy can be found at: http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/resources/clerics/docs/C20.pdf
