Free Church of Scotland becomes nation’s first denomination to spread the Word on Facebook

By CRAIG BROWN
Published on 03/07/2012 02:40

IT IS a denomination renowned for its sober outlook, religious observance and scepticism when it comes to the relentless march of modernity.

But the Free Church of Scotland has taken the plunge into the world of digital marketing by becoming the first major Scottish denomination to take out advertising space on Facebook.

The step is an attempt by the Church, which has 100 congregations and about 14,000 members, to reach out to a wider audience.

A 24-hour advert will appear on certain profile pages today, inviting users to sign up to the official Free Church page for the latest updates, and also giving its Twitter details.

Until now, the Free Kirk, as a denomination, has shown a certain reluctantance to engage with the digital community, only recently setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts on the web.

But a Free Kirk spokesman said they were now embracing it: “Social media brings huge opportunities and supports what we’re already doing in a very cost-effective way.

“It’s fair to say in recent years there has been a declining interest in the Church in general, and this is one way of showing the Free Church of Scotland is relevant and willing to engage with the culture of the day.

“We can now better inform our members and the public about all of the great things the Free Church is doing that no-one really knows much about.”

The Rev Iver Martin, minister of Stornoway Free Church, said he had no misgivings about the move, as the Church was constantly looking for ways to communicate “the historic Christian message in a coherent modern way”.

He said: “In the past, there were various ways of communicating, and communication techniques vary from era to era, and generation to generation.

“We have a sizeable number of young people in our congregations, and we’re listening to them. They have lots of exciting ideas how we might reach people, and Facebook is one of them.”

Mr Martin went on: “The Church is concerned to present itself as a relevant voice in Scotland, and we’re prepared to use whatever it takes to do that. The Church is all about communication. In the New Testament, it was Paul standing in a marketplace in Athens; nowadays you sit at a computer.”

Facebook promotes itself as an opportunity for advertisers to “connect with more than 800 million potential customers”, offering them a chance to select their audience by location, age and interests, as well as setting a daily budget with which they are comfortable.

Fiona Burnett, of Edinburgh brand agency Emperor, said she felt the Free Kirk advertising on Facebook was a logical, positive step.

She said: “It’s a natural forum for sharing belief and interests, so if they are looking to broaden their community, then beginning to align themselves with it will make themselves feel a little more relevant.

“But I think it would be important what they are saying in the advertising, because it’s got to feel credible. They’ve got to be clear about what they are offering and what the benefits are, and why it would be relevant for you to engage with them.

“They could be pretty clever about promoting events or opportunities to get around common interests, which may then allow people to connect with them in a way that they might not have of otherwise considered.”

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