Why Christian Celebrities on Twitter is a Bad Idea

Apparently Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyers and other popular Christian pastors have huge followings on Twitter. So much so that Twitter, Inc itself has been surprised. Here's a brief article about this from a Christian website.

http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/161371-christian-leaders-are-powerhouses-on-twitter.html

I don't think this is good news. Here are some reasons why.

• The article makes it clear (and I've seen for myself) that many of these leaders are just tweeting a few Bible verses as inspirational quotes a few times a day. This worries me because as a pastor I see far too many questions treat the Bible just this way and it bastardizes the book. The Bible is NOT a book of inspirational quotes. It can't be broken down into 140 characters or less. 
• Twitter is at it's worst when people treat it as a shrill opportunity. It's not a billboard platform. Many of the "big name" tweeters (Christians and other) clearly just use it as a platform for message rather than an opportunity to meet people, interact and learn and develop relationships. Anything else is abuse.
• A related issue is SALES. If I see another Christian celebrity using twitter to sale their products (books, CDs, mp3s, etc...) I think I'll just put my head in the sand and cry. Twitter can help you sell stuff, but if you use it as a sales platform, you've blown it.
• Twitter is not a closed conversation. It's open. Anyone can listen in. Far too often I see Christian leaders tweeting as though the only people listening are other Christians who think, dress and speak all in the same way. It's a big world out there. Not everyone listening is your fan. So when you speak, consider that what you say "can and will be used against you."
• Twitter is not corporate, it's personal. If you don't have the time or passion to tweet yourself, fine. But don't pay someone else (or worse ask a volunteer) to tweet for you. It's not authentic. It's better just to leave it alone.

If you are a Christian and you are considering getting a twitter account for ministry - great. But spend a lot of time listening before engaging. And when you engage, do so with humility. Do so personally. Do so authentically. You'll be amazed at what you learn. And others will be grateful for what you contribute.