“Internet priest” helps people connect online
TORONTO, ON—The Anglican Church of Canada's "Internet priest" has spent the first few months in his new position getting connected.
Jesse Dymond left his role as parish priest in New Hamburg, Ontario in September to become the Anglican Church's first Online Community Coordinator. His task is to take the vision of "a national communication platform, integrated and accessible at the parish, diocesan and national levels" and make it a reality.
He will also watch over that platform, both behind the scenes on a technical level, and publicly in the online forums as a mediator—or what some colleagues are already calling an "Internet priest."
Dymond, who will stay involved at the congregational level as an assistant at a parish in the Huron diocese, has spent the first few months trying to figure out how the online community can best serve clergy and churches.
"It's meant a lot of time on the phone, with e-mail and meeting one-on-one with clergy, lay people and young people," says Dymond. "We recognize local congregations are best equipped to do outreach ministries where they are. Our goal is to help them use resources better, to equip congregations.
"It's easy to forget when we're struggling in an area that there's a church, whether it's across the road, across the city, across the diocese or across the country, that's dealt with the same struggle and could help."
Dymond's love of computers is helping him plug into his new role.
"I grew up around computers, which is pretty rare for someone of my age," he says. "It's always been part of my language, the way I communicate with the world around me."
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