On May 6, 2011 the Board of Ministries of the American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region adopted the following policy applying to and and all social media use by its employees (to be added to section 600 Employee Conduct):
It is likely that GRR employees will participate in the growing practice of what is known as "social networking" or "social media." This includes things like blogs, web pages, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. Because there is no possibility of complete security or confidentiality when such media are used and because there are legal liability concerns, GRR employees need to be aware of our policy regarding such activities even on personal sites.
1. Include a disclaimer. Make it clear that the views and opinions being expressed are yours alone and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Great Rivers Region or of ABCUSA.
2. Follow the staff policies and practices manual established by the Regional Ministry Board, especially as it relates to harassment and illegal activities. Contributing to a hostile workplace by posts on social websites is grounds for disciplinary action.
3. Respect confidentiality. Do not purposefully or inadvertently disclose information that is sensitive, confidential or belongs to the Great Rivers Region or ABCUSA. This includes, but is not limited to, personal contact information for fellow employees of the Region and GRR pastors, reports of meetings, and Board documents. Violations of confidentiality are grounds for dismissal.
4. Respect copyright and brand. Do not use GRR or ABCUSA logos on your site or reproduce material without first obtaining permission.
5. Respect our values. Personal media with displays of inappropriate images or language reflect on the whole organization and may be subject to disciplinary action including dismissal. Remember the churches we all work for.
6. Respect regional time. Regional computers and time on the job are reserved for GRR-related business as approved by your supervisor.