Evangelizing Through Social Media (Communications Agents Training Archdiocese of Nairobi)
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB)–Commission for Social Communications in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Nairobi trained 130 Parish Communication Agents.
During the inaugural training, the participants were taken through the importance of using social media for the benefit of the church. The mainstream media has its goals which in many instances give a black-out to church issues. A strong catholic network of communicators will carry out the divine mandate of spreading the Word of God using various means of social media.
The training aims at empowering the parish communication agents on how to evangelize through the media, develop a diocesan communication network that promotes catholic values and identity, and to create a church that uses modern media technology to evangelize.
Speaking during the training at the Holy Family Minor Basilica, ADN Communications Coordinator Rev. Fr. David Njau, said the training of Parish Communication Agents would enhance proclamation of the good news amongst all people. He encouraged the communicators to be ready to be used by God to evangelize regardless of who they are, “God wants to use you as you are.”
Addressing the agents,the National Executive Secretary for KCCB Commission for Social Communication Br. Elias Mokua, said the training is to develop a stronger Catholic identity amidst many competing media interests, take lead in Catholic content, provide contra news and information, cross share news as Catholics and other relevant information and increase news generation to Catholic media being radio, print and online.
The participants commended the Church for the initiative terming it, “a great step towards the right direction”. They suggested that there should be continuity of the program hence created a WhatsApp and email groups for further sharing of information amongst themselves and ADN Communication Office. The second phase of training will be in September.
