Communications

Social Media and Ministry

Social media and ministry.

It seems to be changing the entire face of how we communicate in the 21st Century. Even our new President Donald Trump uses Twitter on an ongoing basis as you have heard many times in the news I am sure. But news, weather, sports and even ministry has focused it’s attention on social media and yet not only them but unfortunately those who would care to bring harm to others by making threats, accusations and leaving behind creepy stories about their horrible terrorist attacks around the world.

But yet, if Christians stop a minute, we can see that God has given us this tool as a huge weapon against the devil and sin. At Pleasant Grove Church, where I pastor, we take our Sunday morning church service messages and then post it afterward to our Facebook page within an hour of our service being over. Some places have even been using “Facebook Live” as a source to run their services and then posting it afterward for people to come back to see. No doubt the world and the ugly side of it wants to show is it’s business, so should we not show that we are doing the father’s business so that others may find Him as well? That is part of the Great Commission in Matthew 28 to “Go Therefore and Teach All Nations.” Jesus never told us we have to travel to each country, state or territory personally. However we can reach these places with things like Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets such as Skype. I have a friend who lives in Sofia, Bulgaria who is a doctor there but oversees some of our Free Will Baptist Churches there as well. Once in a good while he and I will visit by Skype. Once he was in his homeland of Bulgaria, another time he skyped me from the Biblical city of Ephesus in Western Turkey, and was telling me about his biblical journey of where Paul use to walk and minister.

So is social media a part of God’s plan? Amen. And as our teachers used to tell us in school: may we “use the time and the ability wisely” that He has given us.

BARRY STALLINGS
Senior Pastor
“The Grove”: Pleasant Grove Original Free Baptist Church | Pikeville, NC
barrystallings.com

In 1988 Barry accepted Jesus Christ into his heart and life and a year later in September 1989 answered God’s call to preach the gospel. Also, within this period he wrote his first of many songs which led him to sing gospel music. In 1989 he became a southern gospel music radio announcer that led him into Christian television in 1992. On July 6th the same year he became the host of a southern gospel music video program, “Together Again with Barry Stallings”, which airs to this day on WHFL-TV43 in Goldsboro, NC.

Since December 2003 Barry has been serving as Senior Pastor of Pleasant Grove Original Free Will Baptist Church otherwise nicknamed “The Grove” of Pikeville, NC, and hosts a TV and radio ministry entitled “Pleasant News From the Grove” each week which are outreaches of Pleasant Grove Church. He has been married to his wife Olivia since March of 1992 and they have two very talented daughters Karen, 22 and Katie, 20.