NASHVILLE (BP) — When it comes to X (formerly Twitter), church leaders may soon get the opportunity to truly take it or leave it.
Comments on Sept. 18 by the platform’s CEO, Elon Musk, included requiring users to pay a “small monthly payment,” something he has hinted at for some time.
“It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” he told Israeli Prime Minister in the livestreamed conversation.
Bots are automated programs designed to mimic human users on social media. They are most often associated with being used in dishonest or nefarious ways and work at a pace not possible for human users. Hence, they are a major contributor to online negativity.
Churches tend to focus their social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Accounts on X exist, but generally lag in activity compared to those of pastors and other church leaders. And even for the latter two categories, the way X is used makes a difference as to the need to pay for it.
It literally becomes a case of the cost being worth … well, the cost.
“If I were to poll the pastors and church planters I routinely work with, a significantly small number of them would say that Twitter/X constitutes a large or even marginal part of the personal or ministry platform,” said Matt Maestas (@mattmaestas), South Region missionary for the Wyoming Southern Baptist Mission Network.
“If I were to ask them ‘why,’” he added, “I think most would say ‘the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.’
“The price of engaging with people on Twitter/X far outweighs the benefit. The number of seeds you have to swallow isn’t worth it.”
A question of profit
“I have an account, but don’t post much,” said Luke Panter (@plpanter), lead pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Maricopa, Ariz. “I use it to see about SBC news and get a feel for where people are.”
His church doesn’t have an X account, using Facebook instead. Count Panter as one who doesn’t expect to use X at all if he must pay for it. He says that may not be such a bad thing not only for himself, but others, from what he has observed.
“To be honest, it may be by the grace of God for us to not have it,” he said. “I don’t think it profits us more than it hinders us as far as our mission is concerned.”
Panter admitted there have been benefits, but …
“If it were to go away completely,” he said, “that would probably help the health not only of our churches and Convention but our Christian witness across the board.”
Instagram is the platform of choice for WALK Church in Las Vegas, but it does have an account on X, said Pastor Heiden Ratner (@HeidenRatner).
“If X requires a payment, it’s likely we would still continue on it,” he said. “Our account is used for the purposes of highlighting what God is doing in the life of our church as well as for communicating important info related to upcoming events.”
He typically posts to his account multiple times a week with “content in the area of what the Lord is speaking to me through the Bible or what I’m currently learning from leaders around me.” Other posts include areas such as sneaker culture and Vegas professional sports teams.
Tools of engagement
John Batts (@PastorJohnBatts), pastor of First Baptist Church in Clear Lake, Wash., posts sporadically to his X account. It can be multiple times a day or a few times a week.
“They can vary in content, from … social topics to Scripture verse graphics to highlighting SBC ministries like Disaster Relief or a focused offering like Lottie Moon,” he said.
Rarely does Batts get engagement from his church family on X, a platform he uses generally as a pastor-to-pastor forum. The presence of other social media options would impact his decision on whether to stay or leave.
“If Twitter/X begins charging for use, I will likely not continue using the platform,” he said. “I don’t find much value in it from a church engagement perspective, and rarely find content on that platform that I cannot find elsewhere, such as Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.”
Mac Brunson (@macbrunson) has experienced the fun, even playful side of X. Still, he was already thinking of leaving the platform before Musk’s comments.
“I dislike greatly the arguments, rudeness and lack of Christian civility,” said Brunson, pastor of Valleydale Church in Birmingham. “I think it has contributed to a decline in manners and kindness among Christians.”
He doesn’t allow himself a pass in that assessment.
“I have posted and tweeted things I’ve regretted,” he said. “So, I’m not blaming others. Sadly, I’ve declined to arguments as well.”
What we’re looking at
Maestas looks at X as mostly useful for gathering information on Southern Baptist issues and other news, not necessarily for interaction.
“I heard someone say once that they use [X] to say ‘Look at this’ rather than ‘Look at me,’” said Maestas. “I think that is a healthy position, and I try to model interaction in that way.”
An account holder since January 2010, he only posts a few times a month. Those revolve around leadership, church planting and church health.
Before returning to his home state, Maestas was a part of the SEND Network of the North American Mission Board for 13 years. Having an active social media presence came naturally to him, as he and others were encouraged to do.
Even so, he’s not sure if he’ll continue on X if payment becomes required.
“It has more to do with the lack of engagement I experience there relative to other platforms,” he said. “I can see Instagram Threads rising in popularity if X goes to a pay-to-play format.”
And he points out, technology moves fast. The Next Big Thing might not even be here yet.
“It is more likely that another platform none of us are aware of will rise to a position of prominence,” he said,” as people move away from Twitter/X.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Scott Barkley is national correspondent for Baptist Press.)
