After thought and prayer, the diocesan account on X is no longer active. The three bishops are also no longer using their accounts. We posted an explanation on the channel in our final post on the platform.
This reads: “As we prepare for Advent, the team behind the Diocese of Salisbury X account has decided to withdraw from the platform, as have its three bishops @BishopSarum, @BishSherborne and @RevAndrewRumsey. This decision has arisen from growing discomfort about the current direction of the platform, and also from the negative effect that some debate has had on social cohesion and church unit. We believe that, on balance, it serves polarisation and profit rather than connection and understanding.
“We aren’t leaving because we shy away form difficult discussion, but because we believe that these should be conducted in ways that honour human dignity and build up our common life.
“The number of our followers on X will seem small to many organisations, though we value each one. We look forward to staying in touch through other channels and connecting with all those interesting in our work of Making Jesus Known."
We are still on Instagram and Facebook and have created new accounts on Threads and BlueSky. A new diocesan TikTok account, run by a group of young people from all over the diocese, will also launch in January.
Social media is such an important part of connection today and we understand not everyone will agree with the decision to leave X. We reflect and pray regularly over the content and channels we use to share the message of hope we have in Jesus Christ .
Social media platforms offer an amazing opportunity to share our faith and the work of people of faith in our communities with so many more people than we could possibly reach in other ways. Do keep sharing your stories with us!