In the olden days before social media, if a Trinity United Methodist Church member fell ill, they called the church office. Now, if someone goes to the hospital or needs pastor Sid Hall to pray for them, they usually go online.
“If they post it on Facebook, even if they have the flu or they’re not feeling well, those are things I can see,” Hall said. “I can show up at the hospital if they’re there, or on Sunday morning, I can say, ‘How’s your brother? I saw on Facebook that he’s going through some hard times.’ ”
Hall has used Facebook as a way to connect with his congregation since January, when his wife, Mary Pratt , suggested that it could be a good tool for his church. Other pastors, representatives from large denominations and laypeople across faiths have been using social media to reach out in similar ways.