Yesterday, my wife attended a meeting for pastors who are moving to new appointments. A point being driven home more and more within the United Methodist (UM) Church is that, once a pastor moves to a new appointment, contacts, both official and casual, need to be severed.
The official ones, I understand. At the meeting, however, one of the District Superintendents (DS) said, "Get off Facebook." That, I just can't get behind.
Human relationships are complex things. The relationships between a pastor and congregation is a mixture of professional and highly personal. While severing official, professional ties is certainly necessary - no weddings, funerals, etc. - cutting personal ties I find to be a bit harsh. To ask either the pastor or congregation members to end their more casual relating seems to disregard human feeling to an extent that goes against the Gospel.
Am I wrong here?
Virtual Tin Cup
