Seventh-day Adventist Denominational President Joins Facebook and Twitter
From ANN, October 1, 2015: Ted N.C. Wilson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world denomination, launched his own Twitter and Facebook accounts this week in an effort to better communicate the denomination’s activities directly to members and other people.
Ted N.C. Wilson. Credit: ANN.
Wilson said he would use his Twitter account — @pastortedwilson — and his Facebook page — facebook.com/pastortedwilson — to share his personal prayers, favorite Bible and Spirit of Prophecy materials, information about his current outreach activities, and photos and news from his travels.
“I want to better communicate to church members some of the exciting activities of the church, such as Revival and Reformation, Mission to the Cities, Comprehensive Health Ministry, and Total Member Involvement,” Wilson told the Adventist Review.
He said church members would be directed back to their pastor, local church, and local conference for more information about those initiatives.
Revival and Reformation refers to a broad world church program that includes the Believe His Prophets online daily Bible study readings and the United in Prayer weekly e-mail readings and prayers.
Mission to the Cities is an effort to share Jesus in the biggest cities of the world, and Comprehensive Health Ministry includes projects such as community health centers that seek to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people in local communities.
Total Member Involvement is one of the newest programs to emerge from the world church. Introduced at the General Conference session in San Antonio, Texas, last July, it seeks to encourage each of the more than 18.5 million Adventist believers worldwide to find ways to share Jesus actively with others.
“What a privilege to proclaim the three angels’ messages as we approach Christ’s soon coming,” Wilson said.
Wilson will have a small team of people working with him on social media. But all posts will come through his office.
Wilson, a lifelong pastor and church administrator who was elected to a second, five-year term as president in San Antonio, said he decided to join social media now because he wanted to engage with members more directly.
“It is an important way to share spiritual and outreach information in a direct manner, allowing church members to become acquainted with the many outreach and evangelistic methods available and being used,” he said.
Among other things, Wilson will use his Facebook page to answer questions about his vision for the church, his spiritual life, and his activities. People can submit questions to the e-mail: askpastorwilson(at)adventist(dot)org. Wilson will post answers to three questions every Friday.
It is unclear how many Adventists are on Twitter and Facebook. The Adventist denomination’s South American Division has the largest number of likes of any church-managed Facebook page, with more than 877,000 likes. No one knows, however, how many of those likes are from Adventist members.
The Adventist denomination’s official Twitter account, @AdventistChurch, has more than 50,300 followers, making it one of the most popular church-owned Twitter accounts.
Wilson said he sees social media as “an ever-increasing factor in shaping the outreach and interchange of church members” and an effective way to potentially reach millions of other people.
“It is important to use social media to not only share important church information, but also to reach out to the millions using social media and thus pointing them to Christ, His Word, His righteousness, His sanctuary service, His saving power in the great controversy, His three angels’ messages, His health message, His last-day mission to the world, and His soon second coming,” Wilson said.
The Adventist News Network (ANN) is the official news service of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.
Just noticed that pastortedwilson has over 1000 foĺowers but is following no one, 0.
Yep – if you read carefully, this is just another way for Ted to preach to his far-flung congregation.
Much of the power of social media comes from interaction. True interaction is a two-way street. Obama has a White House staff to respond to incoming traffic on social media. That makes him much more effective because his followers believe he actually cares about their comments and suggestions.
This is a good first step for Brother Wilson to communicate more effectively with fellow church members and others who want to do so. This is progress. It is not another “effort”, it is not a “gimmick”, I believe it can be a way to improve communication between a leader and his constituency in the modern age we live in. It would be even better to have from him some ideas on how this resource will actually work best for all. I want to congratulate Brother Wilson on this “new adventure”. It takes time and effort but social media is a much valuable resource for personal growth and learning. I will pray for Brother Wilson to
1. Use social media one of many resources for effective communication. Communication is a transfer of meaning. Communication is also a means of expressing and listening for ideas, questions and preferences from individuals.
2. Please use social media to encourage respect, dialogue, and honest relationships—in other words, “true friendship” based on trust and truth.
3. Develop an approach to social media as a powerful means of evangelization.
4. Use social media to increase visibility, community, accountability.
Let’s see what happens!
If he really wants comprehensive feedback…have the churches hand out surveys all over the world and get more feedback. Can he put a survey on Twitter or Facebook and have the GC staff publish the results?
At least now we see a step forward in communication. If this will be used effectively it may change the image of the SDA Church which is becoming now worse and worse. We have to get out of cocoon and respond to the Church Membership problems; even Catholic Church Leader is now moving around and answering the flock’s concerns. The next step should be to deal with church’s crooks and that was the first step which was taken by His Holiness. It is very sad to hear that SDA Church Members have changed to Sunday and the GC is holding its peace as if nothing has happened. We should face issues and solve problems, keeping quiet will not do! There are 3 important things which Elder Ted should solve: 1. Crooks who are stealing Church Funds 2. He should allow the ordination of women and 3. Pastor Ted should learn to solve issue on time. On this 3rd point, it has been said over and over that the GC (The Leadership of Elder Ted) has become so soft and the leaders in Divisions and Unions have taken this advantage to do what they want as long as they support him in refusing to ordain women!
Unless his account is also for two-way communication, it will simply be another forum for sending out his usual messages. The last Adventist World issue was a good example of another of his “bully pulpits.”
BTW, to see the latest Review’s refusal to report a national story about an SdA organist invited to play for Pope Francis’ mass when he was here, go to Spectrum and see how it was “pulled” shortly after publication because of too much “flack” from members!
http://SpectrumMagazine.org/article/2015/10/03/perspective-organ-performance-too-contentious-adventist-review