The other day I heard someone suggest that before long churches might start hiring social media pastors. I laughed.
Then I googled it.
Apparently, this already exists.
I have mixed feelings about this. I go back and forth. At first, it totally excites me. Yay! Churches are at the forefront of ministry! Reaching the lost in the Twitterverse!
But I also can't help feeling like this is every pastor's job. OK, some of them stink at using computers. But logging on to Facebook or Twitter and sharing your thoughts isn't exactly the same as web design or software development. It's pretty basic stuff.
Also, isn't this a great opportunity for each and every person who is a Christ follower and has an internet connection to reach out to others? Have we gotten to the point already where we need social media pastors to be our professional Christians online? If every Christian is a minister, which I believe, and there are Christians online already, why is there a need for a social media pastor?
But then I go back again and I think this makes total sense. I mean, there are Christians in the world, right? Why do we need pastors in the world? Shoot, maybe we don't? Am I out of a job?
Truth is, there is definitely a place in the social media world for some more spiritual leadership, guidance, and caring. If a church can find a way to get a social media pastor, I say go for it. But my hope is that all pastors try to have a presence in social media, and all Christians learn how to share their faith.
I hope we all become followable.
I find the position of 'Media Pastor' to be very baffling, to me it seems to use the term Pastor out of context, its just a title, but then it is not a title, it is something God gifted to the church and has specific requirements, is a calling, a gift and requires discipline. If its not just a title - then are there Coffee Pastors, Landscape garden pastors and so on? I can think that if is Godly and true - then this person would not be the one doing the powerpoint but TEACHING how to converse, evangelize and promote the gospel online - is that what they do? Not a chance and then such a person can be a 'Pastor' that is just aware of the avenue's that exist online to communicate instructing people on the dangers of online porn, don't be tweeting about your boss and you hate his guts. I think its just the 'modern' run amock that is not exercising good stewardship of the available funds.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought, a Pastor is gifted to the Church for the church, a regular Pastor is not called to Pastor the world - HE as all believers are called to share the gospel but that is not contained within God's description of a Pastor - therefore are they actually an evangelist?
ReplyDelete