I’m currently at the GodBlogCon at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In former years GodBlogCon, a conference for Christians interested in the new media, convened at Biola University in Southern California. But this year GodBlogCon has joined up with the secular BlogWorld convention. Hence the new venue. I think it’s great that GodBlogCon has now gone out into the world, even into Las Vegas, which is not my favorite city.
This morning (Thursday) was the beginning of GodBlogCon. The keynote addresse was delivered by Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jrl, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a leading blogger. Dr. Mohler’s address was a right on challenge to communicate God’s truth in a way that is both truthful and congruent with Christian faith. I’m hoping that he will put up his manuscript online so I can link to it. It was full of theological and practical wisdom.
Following Dr. Mohler was Dr. John Mark Reynolds, an associate professor of philosophy at Biola University, and another prolific blogger. Dr. Reynolds challenged us to blog in a way that seeks what is true, beautiful, and good. Moreover, he said we should live in the virtual world with authenticity as Christians, rather than making up some alternative persona.
I came next in line, presenting a message entitled: Taking Your Ministry to the New Media – The Pastor as Godblogger. This address was meant for pastors who blog (or might blog), though it was applicable to non-pastors as well. I presented 18 Theses on the Pastor as Godblogger. Here they are:

1. Some pastors should be bloggers.
2. Some pastors should not be bloggers.
3. Many pastors who are not bloggers today should become bloggers.
4. Some pastors who are bloggers today should stop, at least for a while.
5. Blogging can enrich a pastor’s ministry with the pastor’s own congregation, and this is sufficient reason for a pastor to blog.
6. Blogging can expand a pastor’s ministry beyond the pastor’s own congregation, and this is a strong though not sufficient reason for a pastor to blog.
7. Blogging can greatly expand the impact of a pastor’s teaching and preaching with the pastor’s own congregation.
8. Blogging can greatly expand the impact of a pastor’s teaching and preaching beyond the pastor’s own congregations.
9. Blogging can allow pastors to address topics that otherwise could not be addressed in the ordinary means of pastoral communication.
10. Blogging can provide an effective means for congregational communication and interaction.
11. Blogging can allow preaching to become more of a conversation and less of a one-way street.
12. Blogging can provide an excellent means for pastors to enhance the daily devotional lives of their congregations.

13. Blogging can help pastors get “out of the saltshaker and into the world.”
14. Blogging can make a pastor’s congregation nervous, even jealous.
15. Pastors should exercise caution in their blog topics, making sure that their blogging is first and foremost edifying to their congregations.
16. Pastors should talk with their leadership board (elders, deacons, vestry, etc.) before beginning to blog (or ASAP).
17. Pastors should communicate clearly with their congregation the purpose of their blog.
18. Pastors (and all other Christian bloggers) should see their blog as God’s blog, and should see blogging as part of their calling and stewardship of gifts.

What do you think about these theses?