My Bishop called me a liar tonight. Oh, not in those words. He dismissed my answers to his questions because I told him that neither ward units or the stake should be using Facebook, or any other web site for official purposes.
Where's the ambiguity in the following passages:
Official Church Internet Resources 21.1.22
The Church provides a number of official Web sites and other Internet resources for general use. These sites and resources are clearly identified as official either by the use of the Church logo or in some other way. They also comply with legal requirements and the Church’s intellectual property and privacy policies.
He countered with the information that, since the Stake President is doing it, then it must be okay. That's good enough for him. Also, he pointed out that the Church has a Facebook presence, so it must be okay if the stake does too.
Stake and ward Web sites may be created only by using the official Church Internet resources. Stakes and wards are not authorized to create other Web sites or blogs or otherwise have a Church-sponsored presence on the Internet.
I told him special web sites can only be set up under Church authorization and approval. He didn't want to hear that either. Also from 21.1.22:
On occasion, official Church Web sites may be approved for other purposes, such as multistake projects, special events, and young single adult activities and organization. To seek approval for such a site, the organization’s priesthood leader submits a request stating the purpose and need to a member of the Presidency of the Seventy or the Area Presidency.
Apparently, the mission we are in also has a Facebook page. I don't find any ambiguity in the concluding sentence of 21.1.22 in the Handbook:
Temples, missions, and visitors’ centers are not authorized to create Web sites.What makes leaders think they can just ignore these instructions in the Handbook? You'd think they would be more careful, since everyone online has access to it. If you disobey Handbook instructions, everyone can and will know.
As the Ward Website Administrator, why won't anyone listen to me? It's part of my calling to know these sorts of things.
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