“…in the world but not of the world…”

As the world exists increasingly online, Christians are surely called to be online too. But how do Christians balance online mission with integrity? ‘TikTok Priest’, Rev Pippa White has hit national TV and print news by becoming an extraordinarily successful Christian influencer, ably supported by Arun Kataria. Today they share what it takes to live out the Gospel in an online world.

A morning’s course exploring social media theology, the tensions between being a Christian online and influencer culture, and the practicalities of creating a good online presence. Rev. Pippa White brings lived experience of how to capture online curiosity surrounding Christianity and the priesthood. Arun Kataria brings sage advice on navigating the media and working collaboratively to help promote the Church of England’s online presence.

This session will include plenty of chance for group discussion and will give space for the participants to reach their own conclusions. Covering a wide range of topics, this session will consider both the theological and theoretical, to the practical and helpful. Underpinning it all is the question: how are we to be Christians online?

As each topic will first be introduced and then fully explained before being opened for group discussion, this course is suitable for all levels of prior knowledge and experience of social media, theology, and social media theology. While this session may be particularly helpful for clergy and those in Christian leadership, all of the topics explored will be relevant for all Christians online.

Rev. Pippa White has been in full-time ordained ministry since 2022. In 2024, she began a TikTok account in her spare time to show the realities of being a young female priest in the 21st century. This was met with remarkable levels of curiosity and attention by the online world and quickly amassed thousands, and in some cases millions, of views on her videos.

Arun Kataria began working in church communications in 1994. He works with senior church leadership, the national and local media.