This is an issue I have been running across lately. Someone creates a Facebook page for the congregation and then leaves, loses interest, neglects and abandons it and no one else can get into the page. Sometimes someone has less than holy reasons for creating a Facebook page for the church and are posting things that are not appropriate. How can you get back control of your Facebook page?
Unfortunately, this is not an easy fix. The best route is to avoid the problem in the first place.
Here are some policies to avoid problems:
- Make sure you have more than one administrator of the page. That way if one leaves, others can still access the page and can remove the person.
- Have a clear policy as to what is and is not appropriate to post on the page and make sure everyone who has access to your social media accounts understands and agrees to the policies.
- When someone moves or steps down from their position as a Facebook administrator, make sure they are removed as administrators. If their leaving leaves you with one administrator, replace them as soon as possible so you always have at least two.
- If you are a rostered leader and have administered the social media sites, make sure someone else is in place as an administrator and remove yourself from all the platforms before you leave.
If these policies were not in place and you find yourself locked out of your Facebook page, the only real option is to report the page and try to get Facebook to shut down the page so you may begin again.
The video below shows how to add administrators to your page to avoid the problem and how to report a page if you have been locked out.
