Several years ago, when I first began to read blogs written by pastors, I was struck with the diversity and uniqueness of each one. Each blog, like a spiritual handprint, allows the reader to experience the personality, perspective and passion of the pastor who authors it. Reading blogs is a great way to enjoy the variety in denominations, styles, persuasions, etc. And since pastoral blogging can be personal, motivational, theological, promotional, informational, etc., it's helpful to read broadly before you start blogging. Your blog will be most inspiring when it's really you.
Mark Batterson, for example, pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D. C. blogs at Evotional about his daily experiences as a dad, author, speaker, etc. He's just as likely to describe how he spilled his coffee, got a great seat on the airplane, or enjoyed seeing friends as he is to promote his new book or newest church site launch. His Blogger blog is so candid, everyone feels they know him personally (and his profile has been viewed nearly 40,000 times!).
On the other hand, and dependent on the spiritual gift mix of the pastor, sometimes a blog is best used to wrestle and discuss harder theological concepts or streams of consciousness within the global body of Christ at large. Jesus Creed, by Dr. Scot McKnight, is a personal blog but also includes a weighty theological emphasis. As a prolific and respected scholar, Dr. McKnight is able to summarize complicated concepts concisely (e.g. Five Streams of the Emerging Church) and yet his blog remains personal.
John Piper, author of 30 books and founder of Desiring God.org, shines as writer, preacher, and provider of 27 years worth of free sermons all available on his site. Regardless of your theology (Piper is a Reformed Baptist), you'll likely respect a leader who has the transparency to blog the death of his own grandchild and his response to the circumstances while they are occurring.
At GodblogCon, a conference for Christians interested in the new media held last week in Las Vegas, Pastor Mark D. Roberts, a blogging veteran and the former pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, presented 18 Theses on The Pastor as Godblogger. Below are his observations and I'd be interested to know if any of them surprise you.
1. Some pastors should be bloggers.
2. Some pastors should not be bloggers.
3. Many pastors who are not bloggers today should become bloggers.
4. Some pastors who are bloggers today should stop, at least for a while.
5. Blogging can enrich a pastor’s ministry with the pastor’s own congregation, and this is sufficient reason for a pastor to blog.
6. Blogging can expand a pastor’s ministry beyond the pastor’s own congregation, and this is a strong though not sufficient reason for a pastor to blog.
7. Blogging can greatly expand the impact of a pastor’s teaching and preaching with the pastor’s own congregation.
8. Blogging can greatly expand the impact of a pastor’s teaching and preaching beyond the pastor’s own congregations.
9. Blogging can allow pastors to address topics that otherwise could not be addressed in the ordinary means of pastoral communication.
10. Blogging can provide an effective means for congregational communication and interaction.
11. Blogging can allow preaching to become more of a conversation and less of a one-way street.
12. Blogging can provide an excellent means for pastors to enhance the daily devotional lives of their congregations.
13. Blogging can help pastors get “out of the saltshaker and into the world.”
14. Blogging can make a pastor’s congregation nervous, even jealous.
15. Pastors should exercise caution in their blog topics, making sure that their blogging is first and foremost edifying to their congregations.
16. Pastors should talk with their leadership board (elders, deacons, vestry, etc.) before beginning to blog (or ASAP).
17. Pastors should communicate clearly with their congregation the purpose of their blog.
18. Pastors (and all other Christian bloggers) should see their blog as God’s blog, and should see blogging as part of their calling and stewardship of gifts.
Cynthia - Thanks for your thoughts on pastors and blogging. As a pastor who has been blogging, I appreciate the guidance and also recommendations to other resources. Thanks!
Posted by: Andrew Conard | November 15, 2007 at 08:45 AM
Great information. I am a pastor that is thinking about blogging.
Posted by: Robert Dowell | May 18, 2009 at 02:46 AM