Bro. Kidd’s letter is useful but I believe it somewhat overlooks the positive value the Web provides, and overstates the potential “evils” of social networking sites.
Christadelphia has embraced “the Web” to make a wider footprint than could normally be achieved by traditional means. Many ecclesias have websites to provide a neutral space for friends to learn about Christadelphians, how to contact them, and so on.
Bible school recordings and even papers that would (or should) normally be distributed within ecclesias are widely available on the Web. In addition, Wikipedia provides a wealth of information about Christadelphia. Entries include biographies, descriptions of fellowships, as well as other issues that have afflicted Christadelphia.
Recently, social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn have been embraced by thousands of Christadelphians around the world. They provide a level of connection unheard of before, a sort of “high tech pen-pal” site. Facebook provides several discussion forums that are very popular, with participants numbering over 500 people.
Christadelphian online discussion forums, in fact, have existed since the early 1990’s, when initially only a handful participated. These activities are well established in Christadelphia.
Of course, as in all discourse, even in ecclesias, discussions can sometimes lead to tone and words that are unChrist-like. Errors in discussions on the Web tend to be corrected by other participants. There is a well-established online culture that exists which, for the most part, is respected.
These forums also provide a safe place where issues of importance can be freely discussed by brethren and sisters who hold a wide range of views and opinions. Ultimately, all learn more about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. However, they also realize that ecclesial problems are not solved there but by individual members of ecclesias and within ecclesias.
Most significantly, these forums offer a space for reaching out to the dissatisfied, to those who feel like leaving the truth, to those who for whatever reason do not feel comfortable being a Christadelphian, or feel disillusioned with their experiences being a Christadelphian. They can safely express their thoughts freely. Often someone may have a caring word that makes a difference between that person leaving the Truth or giving it another chance. This is not hypothetical. It is real and I have seen it happen more than once over the several decades that I have participated. I have even received messages of thanks by some who were ready to leave the Truth and were glad to have someone who was willing to hear their story.
The Lord God indeed works in many ways, and He is quite capable of using brethren and sisters in another part of the world to gently encourage someone in their time of difficulty. These forums can do this because participants often have open ears and hearts and are ready to listen to other’s concerns, and through these means, God brings back the lost sheep to the fold.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One