What undermines another pastor\u2019s ministry (or other ministry professional), and how one avoids this, can be a bit subjective. Does it undermine another pastor\u2019s ministry when a beloved pastor retires but continues to live just a few blocks away from the church? Possibly. Is a pastor undermining another\u2019s ministry when parishioners follow them to a new appointment 20 minutes away? It certainly might feel that way.<\/p>\n
In each case, one’s physical proximity\u00a0isn\u2019t everything; the former pastor\u2019s intentions and behavior also have to be taken into account. If they did all they could to create space for the new pastor, is it fair to hold them accountable for the decisions church members make?<\/p>\n
[quote_box_right]De-friending church members might be an easy solution but it can also suggest a clinical artificiality to the relationship that could cause unintentional harm.[\/quote_box_right]Facebook and other forms of social media provide yet another means of pastoral and personal connection.<\/strong> And thus, it also offers another point of connection which demands our concern during times of transition. Like email and phone contact, connections made through social media are not directly impacted by distance. Unlike the aforementioned, social media connections may be unintentional so they warrant additional care.<\/p>\n It is increasingly common for spiritual leaders and church members to be connected online but the nature of this connection varies greatly. For some pastors and church folks, this interaction is informal and sporadic; offering glimpses of the other\u2019s life beyond Sunday morning. For others, this interaction is very intentional. More ministry leaders are using social media for pastoral care, and ongoing disciple-forming conversation, than ever before.<\/p>\n Given the diverse ways social media is used, a simple directive for transitioning leaders is hard to come by. Instead of suggesting that leaders delete all their friends, create separate \u2018ministry accounts,\u2019 or stay off of social media altogether, perhaps it would be better to work toward some process of discernment. For those who use social media sporadically, it\u2019s less likely that their connection will offer much of a threat to the incoming pastor. But for those leaders who use social media heavily and intentionally, deliberation should be given as to how they can create space for the new pastor.<\/p>\n As we consider our alternatives, we also must acknowledge that our haste to create a clean separation can have the unintended effect of delegitimizing future relationships between leaders and church members. De-friending church members might be an easy solution but it can also suggest a clinical artificiality to the relationship that could cause unintentional harm.<\/p>\n The following advice is given as a starting point. It is not a one-size fits all solution to pastoral transitions on social media.<\/p>\n The first work that should be done is discernment. The key goal of this discernment is arriving at a solid understanding of how \u2018real\u2019 our social media relationships are. As relationships, by their nature, involve more than one person, we should be interested in understanding both our self-perception and the possible perceptions of the congregations members we are leaving behind. Consider the following questions:<\/p>\n Good pastoral transitions involve a lot of work from both the incoming and outgoing pastor. As each is often involved in navigating two transitions simultaneously, discernment is an important tool to help one to know where time and energy is best spent. How \u2018real\u2019 such interaction is perceived by both clergy and laity should influence our steps forward.<\/p>\n If in considering the questions above you could only think of rare occasions of significant, or \u2018real\u2019, interaction with members of your congregation online, your \u2018social media transition\u2019 might not be worth significant concern. It would still be important to be intentional and collegial in redirecting pastoral conversations to the incoming pastor.<\/p>\n On the other hand, if you found that the questions above caused you to remember multiple occasions where you interacted in significant (real) ways with members of the congregation, you should plan to spend more time considering how to best honor and transition these social media relationships as well.<\/p>\n In the past, many\u00a0advised deleting\/unfriending\/blocking church members from social media accounts during one’s transition. Of course this is still an option for problem situations and for those wishing to draw sharp, \u201cprofessional\u201d boundaries. But as social media platforms mature, they are becoming more flexible and capable for those seeking to create boundaries between themselves and former church members. \u00a0 Following is a short list of things to consider doing as you seek to create space for the pastor or ministry leader that will follow you. The particulars of your situation may dictate a different course and you should consider discussing your plans with the other ministry leader involved in your transition, if at all possible.<\/p>\n Before you delete, group, or otherwise limit interaction with members of the ministry you are transitioning away from, you should consider directly communicating your intent behind any change in engagement. Our United Methodist process of itinerancy may make perfect sense to you (possibly<\/i>) but it\u2019s unlikely that all of the members of your church will understand it. And for those who have been Methodist for their entire lives, it\u2019s likely they\u2019ve experienced at least one pastor with a radically different understanding of professional boundaries and collegiality than your own.<\/p>\n![\"measuring-social-real-tape\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/measuring-social-real-tape.png?resize=75%2C433\")
<\/a>Discerning the\u00a0‘Real’ in Online Relationships<\/h4>\nDo you share posts (words, pictures, video) that are personal in nature with members of your congregation?<\/b><\/h5>\n
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Do you share posts and links to topics that are spiritual in nature?\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n
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Do you share posts about events and items that are specific to your local church?<\/b><\/h5>\n
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Developing an Action Plan to Transition Well<\/h4>\n
![\"hx-sqlogo-home\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/hx-sqlogo-home-150x150.png?resize=150%2C150\")
<\/a>Social media accounts allow this process to be handled more delicately through the use of lists and intentional posting on the part of a transitioning leader. Rev. Jeremy Smith, Minister of Discipleship at Portland First UMC has recently detailed the currently process of doing this on Facebook; you can find his guide HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\nRecommended Actions<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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Actions To Avoid<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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Finally, a couple small housekeeping matters.<\/h5>\n
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