Clergy, church workers and social media - do we need a code of practice?

Everybody's favourite bishop/the bishop we all love to hate (delete as appropriate) got himself in hot water over some intemperate comments on Facebook a while back. 

Meanwhile, there is considerable pressure for tricky vicars and trendy revs to start tweeting, posting their status on Facebook and reaching out to to folk online.

I did a sabbatical recently in which I looked at young people and the internet. When I made it known what I was going to be doing, I was warned to “be very careful,” by a magistrate and two police officers. Why? I think because they heard “internet,” “young people,” and “vicar” and added them up to paedophile. “Just watch you don't get yourself into trouble,” was their advice.

The world of education has strict guidelines about that say things like: "Do not talk about your professional role in any capacity when using social media such as Facebook and YouTube." Teachers keep their personal and professional online lives separate. You can see why. Should clergy and church workers do the same?

Seems to me there are three problems. One is the danger of online grooming and false accusations.

The second problem is to do with mixing up the public and the private.

The third problem is one of confidentiality.

I'm going to post on each of the problems, and then begin to suggest a way forward. Please comment, tell me I'm stupid, misguided and wrong, and hopefully  I'll end up with something worth saying at the end of it.