Uniting Church Assembly to leave X and move to Bluesky

written by Bethany Broadstock, Assembly National Manager - Media and Communications

For many years, Twitter (now X) enabled the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia to engage with a national and sometimes international audience. A key platform in our role to promote the public voice of the Uniting Church, then-Twitter was a place for us to wade into a social and political world, respond to news, engage with our leaders, and to be a considered Christian voice in one of the internet’s public squares.

Since its purchase by Elon Musk in 2022, the Assembly communications and ministry teams have been discussing the Assembly’s purpose for being on X, whether this purpose can faithfully continue to be carried out through X and what alternative might replace it.

The risks of remaining on the site for our own communications work have now long outweighed the benefits. At the end of February the Assembly will leave X and move to Bluesky, a platform we hope holds more promise as a place for the genuine exchange of ideas.

Changes to X over the past two years have been alarming. At a time when it is more important than ever for the digital world to foster human connection and distinguish between truth and misinformation, X is an increasingly polarised, hostile and unsafe space.

A weakened content moderation approach has allowed hate speech and conspiracy theories to become more normalised. There are fewer checks and balances on misinformation and disinformation. There are fewer checks and balances to verify identity. It is deeply concerning that under new leadership, the influence of the platform seems to have been abused to shape political discourse in an increasingly fractured United States of America.

These trends have already driven many other organisations from the site.

As the Assembly we value ethical communication, and as the Uniting Church we value justice, inclusion and integrity in the public conversation. It is no longer tenable for the Assembly to seek to uphold these values on X.

In sharing this decision, we recognise that many Uniting Church members and communities may choose to remain on X. We see this as a faithful thing to do, bringing light, influence and positivity to what is still a major hub for news and discussion. Figuring out what ethical use of social media looks like is not easy at the moment, and our way forward is only one among many possibilities. We must each make the best decisions we can based on what we hope for by using social media, and the principles which guide our engagement in the world.

We remain deeply committed to raising the public voice of the Uniting Church, as we continue to be shaped by Jesus and inspired by the values which have been central for almost 50 years. We will continue to share stories of hope, advocate for the common good and build real community across the digital spaces we occupy, ensuring these align with our mission.

Follow the Assembly on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unitingchurchau.bsky.social

Feedback and enquiries: comms@nat.uca.org.au