Faith through Facebook

• By MARK H. HUNTER
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Jun 20, 2009

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Not so long ago, churches informed their members about upcoming events with mimeographed bulletins handed out on Sunday morning or mailed out to those who missed a service.

Now, most churches also announce their programs on Web sites that can vary from a simple single page of information to more complex interactive and multi-faceted pages that include digital videos of services.

However, for many 21st century churches, rapidly changing technology has made the Web page into just another billboard along the information superhighway. It does little to foster two-way conversations among the clergy and church staff and Web-savvy members and potential members.

That’s where such interactive social networking services come in to play. Congregations of a variety of denominations are tapping the potential for such social networking sites as Facebook and MySpace and the short-message-based Twitter service to get members connected.

For some the road to faith even traverses the information superhighway. Door to door witnessing and sidewalk preaching of the past give way for spiritual counseling online.

The Rev. Jarrett G. Banks of Broadmoor Baptist Church has found that young people who might have been too timid to approach him otherwise, will engage him online.

“Some people are socially challenged and find it very difficult to communicate; however, in a chat box, they possess a certain sense of freedom to express themselves openly,” Banks said.

“In a chat box recently, I explained to a young person what it means to follow Christ and the importance of baptism and church membership,” the pastor said. “The following Sunday, he joined our church and asked to make a public profession of faith through baptism. The dialog that led to this conversion may not have happened or perhaps would have taken years to happen outside of Facebook.”

Banks said he has been a minister since 1986 and until recently had never had teenagers write to him or comment on his Bible studies or sermons.

“Today, through Facebook, it happens frequently. I would say that at least once a week, a young person asks some sort of theological question on Facebook.”

Other area pastors tell of similar experiences.

The Chapel, one of Baton Rouge’s largest non-denominational churches with more than 1,650 members on two campuses, has an extensive and interactive Web site, but pastors and staffers have learned that using Facebook allows even more interaction.

“One of the great advantages of Facebook is that it has facilitated communication between people of various ages and life stages,” said Bettejean Cramer, assimilation minister at The Chapel. “I have a number of middle, high school and college friends on Facebook. They find me because they know me from Sunday morning.