Since I have qualified to make it on a few lists of blogs, most recently into the top 55 pastor bloggers, and since I am a pastor who has been blogging at nakedpastor for a few years, I figure this allows me to give some suggestions to pastor bloggers. This is not to say that I am good at any of this. But I do have some thoughts and experience as a pastor blogging. Here’s a list of 10:
- Anonymity: I don’t favor it except in extreme cases. If you are going to put yourself out there, then do it. Unless it’s extreme. The purpose of blogging, IMO, is to make formerly obscure information available to everyone. Obscurity defeats this purpose. Again, unless your situation is extreme, dangerous, sensitive or unusual.
- Originality: There are tons of blogs out there all saying the same things, quoting the same scriptures, repeating the same clichés. Although you may wish to remain rooted in your tradition, be original and creative in your thoughts and your articulation of them.
- Privacy: Do not disclose sensitive issues about your congregation or people in it, your friends or family… unless you have their expressed permission for certain stories. You might gain some readers, but you will definitely risk the alienation of your people. Avoid sensationalism for its own sake. Respect others always.
- Employment: You may run the risk of losing your job as a pastor if you upset too many or the right people. You will be expected to be conventional and orthodox and to fall within the bounds of normality and acceptability. Don’t let the blog rob you of time. I spend at the most one hour on my blog per day, and that includes drawing the cartoon and writing the post. The weekends I keep very light. Perspective and priorities!
- Care: Some of the readers you gather may become an online community that you might have opportunities to care for as a pastor. This includes moderation, which I find very difficult sometimes. I like diversity so I’m a very relaxed moderator. Once in a while I try to remind the nakedpastor community that we can challenge ideas, but not insult the person. Difficult to remember and do!
- Blogging: One of the things I had to realize is that blogging every day prevents you from writing perfected and completed thoughts. But I see this as completely valid: you are allowing people to observe you process your theology and praxis and person. Books are concrete. Blogs are concrete before it hardens. So your ideas and writing will be imperfect and sometimes outright wrong. Get used to it.
- Monetizing: If you are hoping to make big bucks from a religious blog, good luck! I tried and pennies trickled in. After a few years though, I have been approached by a few businesses offering bigger bucks. But it won’t make me a living. Yet. I talked with Problogger about this a couple of years ago and he agrees: religious sites will have difficulty making money.
- Networking: If you want to build a readership, it is important to engage with other bloggers, especially those who seem to be on the same page as you. I have made wonderful friends online and value them in my life. Plus, I just think there is value in online relationships. I feel that my life is enriched by these real people in far away places.
- Support: I have found it crucial to have some local moral support for what you are doing. I didn’t at first because I didn’t think nakedpastor would turn into anything. But it did, and now I couldn’t continue as easily without my support network locally and virtually. I might mention here the important task of critiquing the church. One of the church’s slogans, “Reformed and always reforming” means that, unlike a business who’s chief end is profit, the church is concerned with change and reform. So critique in helpful ways rather than sounding like you’re just trashing the church. This is one area where my supporters are especially helpful.
- Honesty: You can be as honest as you feel you can. But remember that there are others who will be affected. Some people can handle only so much. You’ll need to decide how far you are willing to go. You don’t want to become divided: one person online and another in person. Fortunately, I pastor a congregation that is, for the most part, tolerant or even supportive of nakedpastor. However, it is a tricky path that must be negotiated wisely.
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David Hayward is a pastor artistically stripping to the essential.
There are a million pastor blogs out there that talk about how it’s the end of a season, holiday, vacation, liturgical event, etc., and that they’re reflecting on how God shows himself in so many subtle and surprising ways and that they’re just so excited and hopeful for the future! Boring!
Thanks for not being one of those and making me smile and think instead.
thanks Gene… I have been ‘through’ numerous blog sites in my own journey sitting at this machine… Naked Pastor is one of 3 that have stuck because you ‘usually’ touch something inside me that reacts… sometimes negative, sometimes positive, always useful on my journey. jan
Great list. One thing I’d add …
1. Keep blog free of TMI (this goes for twitter, myspace, facebook, etc.). I pray that pastors have a personal life and I care about knowing legitimate prayer needs (I felt connected to you praying for your son for example). But if anyone is in a public position (and this includes religious authors/speakers/teachers), I’d highly recommend keeping info. re: your dating/sex life private. The same is true for partying binges esp. when you look a bit buzzed. This isn’t prudish but practical – Paul is pretty clear about avoiding the appearance of sin. I can’t believe one even has to bring this up but I’ve seen too many promising careers go down the toilet because things got more frat boy than faithful.
I can see why some people would want anonymity. I think everyone needs at least one outlet where they can just be themselves without having to worry about who is going to think what about them. It’s a TON of pressure! If you have a great church that will be mostly understanding, great. But if not, then at least you have one place where you can totally be yourself. Even though I’m not in the ministry anymore, when I was, I could NEVER go to the depths of honesty I go to on my blog. Which is really sad, actually, but it’s how it was. When I was in the ministry, there was just NOWHERE I could go to be me. We had nobody our own age in our town, and youth kids and church people crowded our online spaces. I went to a Christian college and eventually just drowned in the surfaceness of it all.
There’s a little tmi anyways . . .
David – that list of 55 blogging pastors is just someones idea of a list. I don’t even make it on there despite 25 years as pastor and missionary.
in actual fact – you are listed as number 35 in the top religion blogs in the world on Technorati’s religion section, in which many of these blogs mentioned do not appear at all.
tech – religion
thanks for the big ten suggestions.
Dear Naked Pastor, I am an extreme case that necessitates anonymity. I can’t work out my shit publicly, so it’s nice to do it in a blog with some select, safe friends in tow. Thanks for what you are doing…I especially enjoy the art.
Just started blogging so I find this a very helpful list.
Not sure about keeping free from the appearance of sin, I think it is a worry when folks think pastors don’t sin, and if we have to pretend we don’t then that feels like the first step towards madness. But yeah I’m sure no one wants to know TMI about the nature of my sin..
Not sure I can be that original, so maybe that disqualifies me.. although I wonder if we are open and true to ourselves then that is original in itself.
I was pleased you said about not having completed and perfected thoughts, as I worry my thoughts are anything but that.
Lesley – I guess I didn’t phrase that well. Nothing is worse than a holier than I blog where you see the Stepford Wives pastor family that looks too perfect until all Haggard hell breaks loose. One thing that draws me to Naked Pastor is that by revealing his warts and flaws, David creates a space where we can just be. That lives out the notion of the Wounded Healer, a metaphor all too often missing from the church.
Compare that to the holy hipster who shares a bit too much about their partying habits, dating life, and other moves that seem belong more at a frat party, which most of us outgrew by the time we graduated from college.
Hey Andrew. I’m honored you commented on my blog. I’ve been checking yours out quite frequently of late. Thanks for that. I had no idea about my rating on technorati. Blessings in your efforts. Thanks again.
Thanks for the wisdom. I’m a young pastor/blogger who is still finding his voice online. My blog has started as a place to flush out thoughts on The Church and our particular ministry. It’s slowly becoming a consistent place for dialogue and transparency.
Still trying to find my voice in the middle of it all.
You wrote: Honesty: You can be as honest as you feel you can. But remember that there are others who will be affected. Some people can handle only so much. You’ll need to decide how far you are willing to go. You don’t want to become divided: one person online and another in person. Fortunately, I pastor a congregation that is, for the most part, tolerant or even supportive of nakedpastor. However, it is a tricky path that must be negotiated wisely.
I appreciate this thought – although based on my experience of pastors, it seems you all must be schooled in being kind of dishonest about being honest. When I was in my 30s, I wanted to scream at every single one of you and your diplomacy.
Of course, now that I’m in my 40s, I’ve kind of fallen in line. But I don’t particularly like myself for it! Maybe by the time I’m 50, I’ll be comfortable with it.
arulba: ouch. But you are very right. That’s why I do what I do. I’m rebelling.
Hey Mr. Grizz. I totally understand. I checked out your blog. Awesome concept. Keep going. I think you’ve got a great idea that will be useful. Thanks for contacting me.
david