Pastor Mandates His Church Leaders Get Off Facebook
December 6, 2010 by Admin
Filed under Church, Leaders, Ministry Today, Technology
By Darryl Izzard
What was once a website created exclusively for students of Harvard University has become the ultimate social staple of our era. Facebook has come so far that it is rare to meet anyone these days who has not succumbed to making their own profile. While there are obvious benefits to the ease of communication Facebook provides, it is important to take into consideration that this kind of fingertip access to just about anyone has its downsides as well.
To protect his team from the downside, a New Jersey pastor told his married church leaders to cancel their Facebook accounts or they would need to resign.
The Rev. Ce
dric Miller of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune, N.J., issued the mandate because he’s been counseling couples that have had problems because one spouse reconnected with an old love interest through Facebook. Miller said that 20 couples at his church have experienced problems because of misuse of the social media site. (Audrey Barrick, Charisma)
“What happens is someone from yesterday surfaces, it leads to conversations and there have been physical meet-ups. The temptation is just too great,†Miller told the Associated Press.
Miller gave church staff until last Sunday to delete their accounts. He also warned the entire church about the dangers of Facebook, but the mandate to delete accounts did not apply to the congregation. Miller planned to delete his account last weekend.
Miller knows that some people will think his actions are too controlling. But he is simply more concerned about saving families and marriages, he told the Asbury Park Press.
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Facebook is not the problem. It is just that, a social network to connect or reconnect to family and friends an individual has lost contact with. When infidelity, adultery, or fornication happens in the life of a Saint of God, it is because they put themselves in that situation to cultivate what was already in them. Marriage is not a cure for lust. The Blood of Jesus gave us power over lust and we are instructed not to give place to the Devil. Facebook cannot make any Saint sin. The sin lies within the individual, remember, there is no good thing in the flesh, and if you are spiritual and filled with the Holy Ghost and you are listening to him, he will tell you to cut the conversation off, don’t make a meeting time, and definitely don’t degrade yourself by lying down with an individual that is not your spouse. The Holy Ghost will lead you into “ALL TRUTH.” It doesn’t matter if you mandate your leaders off of Facebook, if they are not delivered inside. Remember SIN has many AVENUES…………….SELAH (Think on these things)
Choice. It’s the one thing God gave us that we have power of. His gift of that freedom and its wise use delivers many blessings. I use Facebook to promote and socialize with other Christians not just in my city but anywhere. It is a form of encouragement. I also use it to keep in touch with family. Many of whom are not physically close. To give that connection up because of a person’s personal opinion and not a biblical fact is unwarranted to say the least. It’s his (Pastor Miller’s) own view of facebook of which he wants his congregation to except. He just stepped out of bounds. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and any other digital media can and must be used for the Great Commission. Today’s world is digital. Newspapers have a steadily declining circulation as well as paper printing but e-books are selling like hotcakes. People are purchasing electronic Bibles instead of the traditional paper Bibles. You can even see the Kindle in fellowship instead of the traditional paperbound traditional Bible book.
Some things will change. We’re living in an electronic age. We can use the tools around us to learn and promote God’s kingdom so long as the Word of God and the Spirit of God remain the same. I am not promoting disobedience. However, I will not follow any Man of God blindly either. This decision is his and not biblical. This is his view and his only. If I allowed him to make this decision for me, I will then allow him to make the decision as to what car I drive or where I am to live. Again, none of which are biblical which is the only perspective as a Pastor.
Pastor Ashford, thank you. I agree with you wholeheartedly! When Pastors begin dictating what a person of his/her ministry does outside of the Word of God, the dangers of the “Jezebel Spirit” will reign. Is he talking about himself in the numbers of those who connected wirh old interests, as well? Those in the pews needs to focus on God’s Word and pick the bones from those spoken by man. After all, man is deceitfully wicked in the heart. If those who attend church regularly don’t study for themselves under the guidance of Holy Spirit, they will be, and continue to be led like “sheep to the slaughter”. Prayer is need more now than ever before, for the leaders of the pulpits, and those in the pews!
I feel that making this type of mandate is utterly absurd. The focus should not be on Facebook or Myspace but the issues surrounding the lack of the Gospel in the hearts of the individuals that are misusing anything to act in sin.
Should we stop driving cars because they can take us to the hotel or the house across town to see another partner. People with control problems always raise the flag first and scream the loudest, so what is the real problem? the people or the social network? We know the answer–it’s the people.
The leaders on the church should form a circle of prayer and intercession around their pastor to guard him from frivolous acts and sinsational media activities or look for new leadership.
Hello, I understand where he is coming from temptation is great and the Bible tells us to help your brother when he have fallen but be careful you don’t fall to. The struggles that each marriage have and some are not spiritually strong then others and when they reconnect with a person from the pass, old emotions comes up or feelings that started to arise again. But if you are praying for your marriage to get better and doing everythin in your power by the grace of God nothing can faulter you regardless of who you meet on facebook.
“WOW!” Church, we have a problem. While I do understand this Pastor’s concerns for his leaders, His mandate will not stop the devil’s attack! We are in a war-we must fight the enemy!
However, I wonder if the Pastor’s mandate had been:
1. James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
2. Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”
….Would the discussion have even made the church news? Which leads me to this conclusion: WOW! Church, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
I’m concerned that a church leader would see this as a solution to preventing adultry. However, I understand what he is trying to do. But, what he has decided to do represents an act of desperation. When we make decisions for others out of desperation, they are usually not well thought out. This is a prime example. What’s to stop the people from creating yet ‘another’ facebook account under a different email or name? Nothing. If the ‘desire’ of their heart is to cheat in this way…they will find a way. Instead Pastor you must encourage them to change their ‘hearts’. I agree w/ you about temptation, and removing your self from temptation, but unless your leaders change their hearts, your actions are futile. What’s to stop them from simply emailing the person? You should reverse your decision, and require them all to sit out of leadership for a 6 months and do some soul searching and attend marriage counseling courses. Praying for you Pastor…I wouldn’t want to be in your position.
As a pastor myself I can certainly understand this pastor’s concern for his congregation, after all he has a huge, God given, responsibility and will ultimately have to give an account for his actions or lack thereof. Having said that, I do not think that the answer is mandating the cancellation of Facebook accounts but biblical teachings. We need, as the Body of Christ, to get back into the word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide, convict and help us, that’s His job. I would suggest that we all rally around this pastor and his congregation and intercede through prayer, which is the only answer. Mandating not to have a facebook account is only putting a bandaid on the real problem. Hosea 4:6, “My people are distroyed from lack of knowledge”