Our brave new world of social media has introduced a multitude of new dimensions to church ministry: new opportunities for outreach and connection, new ways to circulate timely content and facilitate a sense of togetherness. Outside the local church, many pastors and church leaders have found in their social media an outlet for engaging in theological conversation, keeping an eye on denominational and evangelical events, and maintaining a voice in the public square.
There is a sense in which the internet has redefined what it means to be a “pastor-theologian.” In years past such a title usually evoked images of a seminary president or sought-after Christian speaker; in other words, images of a pastor whose public voice was mediated by some kind of institution. Now, such mediation is unnecessary. A Wi-Fi connection and a free account are all that it takes for a pastor, regardless how rural or obscure their ministry location, to assume the role of a “public theologian.”
At this point, people like myself who have adopted a more skeptical attitude toward the effects of the internet on Christian life and theological conversation usually decry the advent of the “theological influencer” and argue for returning to a more institutionally guarded understanding of the public theologian. But skipping straight to this point would be naïve. For one thing, the digital world is here to stay, and pushing back against its dominance will not change that. There’s also the undeniable reality that the internet era has wrought good things, from exposing scandals to bringing a deserved platform to those who may otherwise never have attained it.
The question is not whether social media is good or bad, since almost all technology (whether digital or otherwise) defies that binary. The more relevant question is, “What is social media?” and relatedly, “What is social media good at doing, what is it bad at doing?”
The role that the social internet plays in our theological lives is undeniable. Not only has it given Christians another medium on which to talk about Christianity, but it has so deeply inflected Christian thought that it has transformed the kind of Christians we are. For example, the blending of theological debate and clashing online personalities has shaped how many Christians think about controversial issues. Frequently today, what one believes about gender roles or politics is not so much a reflection of independent study and how that person has been discipled to think about these issues by their local pastors, but instead, what kind of online “tribe” one identifies with.
Social media’s dependance on the news cycle for generating content also means that internet debates about theology almost always happen in a political context, and are deeply shaped by political identities. A complementarian who doesn’t want Donald Trump to be president is cutting across political and theological tribes in a way that creates tension. He or she will face enormous pressure, either to hold onto their theology of gender but stop criticizing Trump, or else continue criticizing Trump but downplay or even change what they believe about gender roles.
Why belabor this point? Because pastors and church leaders need to reckon with the way that social media has not only broadened the stage for talking about doctrine, but profoundly shaped that doctrine. The nature of social media and the nature of transcendent truth, while not completely and utterly incompatible, are nonetheless at odds. For one thing, theological thinking requires care and patience. The doctrines of inspiration and inerrancy mean that no Christian can be satisfied with a quick glance at the Bible. To understand it, we must parse Scripture with the maturity and thoughtfulness befitting a book whose words are the words of God.
The social internet, by contrast, is built on a foundation of efficiency, consumption, and speed. Habits of thought we cultivate online tend toward an inability to mine deeply into the Bible. That’s why so many internet debates, even about massively important truths, almost instantly become silly, reactive, and unhelpful. The medium is the message.
With this in mind, how do we as Christians and Baptists navigate the transformations wrought by social media on our churches, institutions, and entities? Let me commend three strategic truths that can help us use social media well in an era that so often uses it destructively.
1. Social media is not a reliable instrument for changing minds or institutions
Ours is the age of digital activism, and Christians are about as likely to participate as secular social justice prophets. It’s true that the internet is an inherently democratic tool that can and has been used effectively in struggles against corruption, conspiracy, and cover-up. But these cases are by far the exception. Overall, social media is a poor vehicle for bringing about meaningful change. Its spirit is what philosopher Byung-Chul Han refers to as “the swarm.” It’s not difficult to elicit a frenzied reaction from social media users who will produce a lot of content in a short amount of time, much of it emotionally heated. Yet, like a swarm of insects, this movement achieves very little.
As Baptists seek to take a hard look at our faith and practice, there will undoubtedly be areas where great change is needed. We will find opportunities to shore up our confession, sanctify our practices, and honor both the gospel and the local churches. Sometimes these changes will be difficult, controversial, and painful. What’s absolutely certain is that any meaningful change for Southern Baptists will be brought about by personal relationships, physical gathering, and casting and executing a positive vision. Social media’s deconstructive center of gravity is a black hole for the SBC.
2. Social media is not a pulpit
There is a sense in which the well-being of the SBC can never and will never rise above the integrity and flourishing of its pastors. That’s why it matters immensely that Baptist pastors refuse the temptation to shepherd the flock of the web before the flock of their church.
We must be vulnerably transparent about why this could happen. Pastoring is excruciating. There are no real “days off.” What’s more, most pastors lead and shepherd in obscurity. There are few, if any, public rewards for the sacrifice. As pastors watch friends in other vocations get promotions, raises, and other kinds of validation, it can be extremely difficult to return to sermon prep, sick visits, and counseling, efforts that are invisible to almost everyone else. With social media comes the potential for a pastor to feel like his voice, work, and wisdom are needed and acknowledged by an audience that outnumbers his church. No thinking person can be unsympathetic.
Yet it will never do to devote the lion’s share of emotional energy to curating an online persona. For one thing, such a habit requires time and attention that is better spent on the people the Lord has actually given you. For another, over time it is likely that a pastor with much invested in his social media presence will cultivate a dual personality, or else begin to talk to his people as if they are followers instead of members. This dynamic will lead to an SBC filled with poorly led churches, whose real problems and struggles are unknown to anyone at all. If we would have a renewed convention, it might very well start with pastors that consciously choose to sacrifice the trappings of notoriety for the sake of preaching a whole gospel to the real people who are providentially present.
3. Social media is not where God is building his kingdom
This point sounds obvious, yet it frequently feels counter-intuitive. A mass media society certainly can feel as if nothing else matters. Heresies, immorality, controversies, scandals, and more cycle through the social media feed every day. It can be tempting to order our time as if this is where the real kingdom work is: the real prophetic confrontations, the real call to reformation.
But this is an illusion. God promises hell-defying power not to Christian social media presence, but to the church. God promises his Word will accomplish what he means for it, not as it is tossed around in an angry debate, but as it is preached. God promises his own presence not among virtual gatherings, but among his people as they physically gather. If we want to experience the power of the gospel and durability of the church, we must reacquaint ourselves with reality. That means putting the web in its place, not looking to it to give us a sense of power and influence that we lack elsewhere.
Baptists are navigating treacherous issues. Digital technology is good at several things, but it is not good at the things that matter most. We dare not become a convention known primarily for our social media imprint. In a lonely, disembodied era, we must press forward toward being present, in our churches and our entities.
Editor's Note: As a part of its commitment to fostering conversation within the Southern Baptist Convention, the Baptist Review may publish editorials that espouse viewpoints that are not necessarily shared by the TBR team or other contributors. We welcome submissions for responses and rebuttals to any editorials as we seek to host meaningful conversations about the present and future of our convention.
Samuel James
Samuel D. James is the associate acquisitions editor at Crossway. He is the author of Digital Liturgies, a regular newsletter on Christianity, technology, and culture. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, Emily, and their three children and is a member of Third Avenue Baptist in Louisville, KY.