From the editor

I get tired of conversations about social media that revolve around the same set of questions: Should I friend my boss on Facebook? Is my life interesting enough for Twitter? How do I get more traffic to my blog? And, in our case, is it possible for print publications to increase subscriptions through social media?

First, no one––not even social media experts––has all the answers. Second, in many situations these are actually the wrong kinds of questions, as I discovered through the Associated Church Press (ACP).

At the April ACP convention in Chicago in May, I was introduced to a group of people asking new questions about social media that I find refreshing and relevant. This group of theologians and communicators are part of the New Media Project at Union Theological Seminary­­.

The Project examines the bigger picture of social media, offering questions that move beyond building flashy church websites or creating engaging Facebook pages. Instead the project aims to “help religious leaders become theologically savvy about technology.”

During the ACP convention, I attended a seminar led by Verity Jones of the New Media Project. According to the Project’s website, “Compelling theological interpretations of [social media] have not yet been adequately developed. Nor do sufficient strategic frameworks exist to help faith communities move forward using technology in theologically responsible ways.”

Let’s put this in simpler terms.

During the ACP seminar, Jones outlined three areas of theological topics regarding social media: ecclesial authority, community and bodily presence.

The first topic, ecclesial authority, asks how the “flattening” of information creation relates to the “priesthood of believers.” I ask, What does it mean for our church community that anyone and everyone can blog about church happenings, theology and more?

The second topic, community, addresses the “high value placed on individual personalities,” or the ego often prevalent in online profiles. I ask, How do we use Facebook and Twitter in genuine ways? Are we too honest online or not honest enough?

The third topic, bodily presence, addresses online congregations and worship. For example, I heard several individuals after Pittsburgh 2011 wonder if it’s possible to virtually participate in worship happening at a churchwide convention.

During the ACP seminar led by Jones, a colleague asked, “Can we wash feet with Twitter? What about Communion?” In the days of webinars and virtual meetings, these questions aren’t as far out as they may seem.

These new realities also produce excitement. Facebook facilitates global connections, a priority of Mennonite Church USA, in ways I could not have dreamed possible. As Mennonite Shirley Showalter says, Facebook is a “worldwide community that can talk about anything anytime.”

In fact, I find the online elements of my work invigorating––especially editing TMail, where I can include breaking news or opinion pieces about timely topics that we don’t have space for in the monthly print publication. Then readers can interact with each other online and on our Facebook page about the articles.

Throughout our work with social media and digital experiments, I hope that we at The Mennonite find ways to reflect on the questions raised by the New Media Project as well as address our own questions. I also invite readers across Mennonite Church USA to consider these questions, share feedback with us and submit articles on this topic for publication.