Portrait of Ryan Dunn, minister of online engagement, United Methodist Communications. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications
Ryan Dunn, a provisional deacon in the North Carolina Conference, has joined the staff of United Methodist Communications (UMComm) as Minister of Online Engagement for Rethink Church. Dunn is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and most recently served as the youth pastor at St. James UMC in Greenville, NC.
“I have previous experience in online marketing and content management and I also have 15 years of experience in professional ministry. I never imagined those two experiences would somehow be tied together,” said Dunn.
Dunn will bridge seekers – individuals who are not committed to a church yet are searching for deeper meaning in life – with local congregations and develop a stronger faith engagement in the church. He will also provide direction of sacred content geared for 18-34 year olds often disengaged from church and provide innovative use of social media to disciple new persons for Christ.
“A key component of the early Methodist movement was meeting people where they gathered,” said Dunn. “Today, we realize that people increasingly ‘gather’ in virtual spaces. Rethink Church seeks to be a Christ-centered presence in those virtual gathering spaces. It is going to be fun, yet challenging, to discern ways to transition the people we meet in virtual relationships to incarnational relationships with local congregations.”
The center of The United Methodist Church’s seeker outreach is RethinkChurch.org, where visitors may interact, learn more about the church, and search for United Methodist churches in their area.