An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg

Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,

I’m a traveling missionary who’s been using Facebook now for over ten years. It’s a marvelous tool to help me reconnect with old friends, meet new people and minister to them. However, there are a couple of things I don’t like about your social media site. They are serious enough to me where I’ve considered leaving Facebook completely.

One of them is being forced to use Messenger if I want to send a private message through my smartphone. It often results in other Facebook friends trying to start up chat sessions with me. I liked it better when my chat room could be kept off and not let everyone know I’m online. I’ve had to use the “block messages” function with individuals who persist in initiating conversations with me. I don’t want to be rude but maintain boundaries and limit distractions. Some of my friends won’t even use Messenger because of privacy concerns. 

Another intrusive feature I loathe even more is Facebook groups. Since 2010, friends have been able to add me to these groups without my permission (yesterday I was added to three of them without being asked). This has been a recurring annoyance. Being added to groups results in extra emails sent to my inbox that I don’t care to read. Not only that, my membership to these groups are automatically made public even if I have no interest in them. It’s especially annoying when I have to remove my name again from a group after being added a second time. This can happen if I leave a group using my smartphone. I don’t have the option of preventing my name from being added again like from my laptop.

Yesterday, a fellow minister sent me an article explaining your desire to use Facebook groups to build “meaningful communities” and “bring the world closer together.” Regardless of your intentions, that hasn’t changed my aversion toward groups. Unless changes are made and people are allowed to be invited first (like with Fan pages), I will not be part of any Facebook group.

 In the past, I made a few exceptions. In 2015, I had a new song aired on Dr. Demento’s radio show and briefly joined his Facebook group to connect with listeners interested in my music. The problem is when some people see you’re part of one group, that gives them ideas to add you to other groups.

In closing, I want to commend you and your wife Priscilla for your desire to give most of your wealth to charity  However, I must remind you that we will all pass away from this life to the next. Good works will not buy your way into heaven. I pray you will seek His Face so your name will be jotted into His Book (the book of life). That comes from entering into a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Hopefully, you will then recognize the greatest mission God wants us involved in...preaching the gospel throughout the world so fewer people will spend eternity in hell.

“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Toking the Ghost Revisited

Image
Back in February 2007, a fellow missionary I was traveling with started talking about “smoking the weed from heaven.”   He would pretend to have a joint of marijuana between his fingers and have “smoke breaks with Jesus.”   He also encouraged other believers to take “hits.”   I was a bit uncomfortable with this idea but didn't contest it. Then in October of that year, I heard John Crowder preach on “toking the Ghost” at a church in my hometown of Fargo, North Dakota.   I was inspired to make a video with John to share with my missionary friend.   During the filming, I experienced much laughter. I decided to make the video public figuring other people might enjoy it also. Two weeks later at a church in Minnesota, I heard Benjamin Dunn share testimonies of people getting healed from “toking the Ghost.”   This was just before he and John Crowder started ministering together.   I believed this was God confirming His word in the mouth of two or three witnesses.  
Read more

The Gospel Soul Winning Script

Image
During my early days with evangelism, I developed an approach called the Survey Technique . By asking short direct questions, you can maintain control of the conversation and find out quickly what a person’s spiritual beliefs are. Although the Survey Technique has helped me lead thousands to the Lord, I’m still open to utilizing new methods in reaching people with the gospel. Rodney Howard-Browne 's ministry uses a tool called the Gospel Soul-Winning Script , which originated during their Good News New York campaign in 1999. I became familiar with it a few years later during evangelism outreaches with Rodney’s church in Tampa, Florida. At first, I resisted using the script. I found it restrictive and thought sinners wouldn’t be receptive to me reading the whole thing to them. Then while taking part in a 2009 outreach with Rodney’s ministry in Washington, D.C., my team leader asked me to “stick with the script.” Wanting to maintain unity, I complied with his request. Initially it fe
Read more

A Tribute to Al Best

Image
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. This tribute is for one who went home to be with the Lord last Sunday. Al Best oversaw Light in Anoka Church in a northern suburb of Minneapolis. Originally from Florida, Al first gave his life to the Lord at 17 but then backslid. Meanwhile, he served 21 years in the Navy and worked various jobs. That included selling Rainbow vacuum cleaners. I would eventually get to know his sales manager. Eric Gonyon became an associate pastor at Rodney Howard-Browne ’s church (I usually attend services there when in Tampa).  A few years after recommitting his life to the Lord, Al became a pastor. In 2007, the Lord directed him to head north to Minnesota, where his wife Jean is from. First, they ministered in the small town of Dassel. What started as a youth mission transitioned into regular services for all ages. Then in 2016, Al and Jean moved to Anoka to take on a church originally called New Day Fellowship. To counter the city’s motto as the “Halloween Ca
Read more