Star comment: Bishop is making a good move
The Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Rt Rev Mark Rylands, is taking his first steps into the world of Twitter.
For those involved in the communication business – and the Church is a prime example of one that has a message to get across – it is a tool there to be used.
Getting with-it conjures up images of trendy guitar-playing priests.
However, in the context of the evolving technologies which so dominate the communications landscape nowadays, being with-it means being up-to-date in grabbing the opportunities those changes are bringing.
For the Church to remain relevant it has to speak the language of those to whom it is seeking to engage.
Sermons in church will reach the faithful who attend services.
And we all know what the trend has been in attendance at Anglican churches.
A tweet has the potential to reach out to thousands, hundreds of thousands, and millions.
While those at the receiving end might not be those who would necessarily count themselves as being religious, Twitter is a medium of ideas, thoughts and opinions.
It is a stimulating environment which can provoke a response, initiate thought processes, and stir curiosity.
His initiative is a positive move which, at the very basic level, will be useful in publicising events.
More broadly, it has the promise of putting the Church in contact with a new constituency, the young generation which is ready for new ideas and yet may not, in the normal course of things, be exposed to them.
Twitter is not a place for sermonising, and it is clear that the bishop is not looking to use it in that way.
He wants to join the conversation, which can only be good for the Church.
