Thursday, June 04, 2015

Twitter Communions: Cutting-edge digital mission or theological nonsense?


Communion services on social media like Twitter "compromise the integrity of the sacrament", according to a report to be considered by the Methodist Conference later this month.

The high-level report from the denomination's Faith and Order Committee recommends that ministers are banned from celebrating communion using "electronic means of communication". It is likely to prove highly controversial as more churches are experimenting with ways of involving people remotely in worship.

The report follows an attempt by Methodist minister the Rev Tim Ross in 2010 to hold a Twitter Communion. His idea was to tweet a series of prayers which those following the service could say out loud before typing 'Amen' at the end and partaking of the elements at the appropriate point. However, he cancelled the service after pressure from Church authorities and the matter was passed to the Methodist Faith and Order Committee, which has just submitted the report. Keep reading

Photo credit: Pixabay, public domain

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