Madeleine Davies Why are clergy wasting their time on social media?
Tom Lamont The Observer Mission impossible? Meet the new chaplains
[The Theos report mentioned in this article is available for purchase or free download here.]
Tinyiko Maluleke Mail & Guardian Desmond Tutu, archbishop of the world
Re: Madeleine Davies, do people follow her on twitter I wonder? I thought this line from her article interesting, “Accusations of narcissism and time-wasting have been levelled at the men and women who, some would argue, should be too busy visiting the poor and ministering to the sick, to be crafting 140-character epigrams.” The notion that clergy ought to be so busy ministering that they would have no time for anything else is an old cliché. Busy bodies have been telling clergy that for eons. As for twitter, I have no interest in the whole twit thing. I do spend… Read more »
I’m in complete agreement with you, Rod. As, also, a retired but active priest; I find blog-sites like T.A. to be stimulating, in a way that I feel able to contribute. I also have my own blog that, a little like T.A. and certainly of the same liberal pastoral understanding – while not quite as widely frequented – draws on articles of interest from other Church sources (including T.A.), taking the opportunity to append my own comments on them. For a ‘retired’ but still active clergy-person, this may be one of the more stimulating ways of keeping in touch with… Read more »
I keep hoping that we’ve got to the point where ‘Clergy use social media’ is no longer a news story. Seems there’s a way to go yet, though. Twitter is generally perceived by commentators to be an ‘echo chamber’ – ie you create a world around you that reflects your own interests and beliefs. I’ve come into contact with people I’d not meet as readily offline, but however much I try to follow people who aren’t like me, I know that to an extent I’ve created my Twitter world in my own image. The best thing about Twitter from my… Read more »
I think it is possible to affirm both of the following statements: (1) Time spent on social media can be an important part of pastoral and evangelistic ministry, and (2) Some clergy waste a lot of time on social media.
I know from my own experience that both of those statements are true.