By Felix Anthony
Miao, September 23, 2026: Returning from the Asian Digital Missionary Assembly in Manila, I find myself carrying home something far more valuable than photographs, memories and new friendships.
I return with a renewed understanding of what digital ministry means to me — and a deeper conviction that the digital world is not simply a place to create content, but a mission field waiting to be evangelised.
Being selected to represent India at the Assembly by the Media Office of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) was a privilege and a moment of deep gratitude.
I remain especially grateful to Father Cyril Victor, Media Coordinator of CCBI, for giving me the opportunity to be part of this gathering. For someone involved in Catholic media ministry, the experience was both encouraging and challenging.
A family across Asia:
The Assembly brought together priests, religious and digital missionaries from different parts of Asia.
I was blessed to meet fellow priests and missionaries from the Philippines, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam, among others. We came from different cultures and spoke different languages.
Our pastoral realities were not the same, and neither were our experiences of the digital world. Yet, there was a remarkable sense of fraternity.
We were united by one desire: to bring Christ into the digital spaces where people are living, searching and communicating today. Listening to the stories of others was one of the most enriching parts of the Assembly.
Their enthusiasm, struggles and commitment gave me a renewed sense of hope. At times, digital ministry can feel lonely. We create, post, respond and move on, often without knowing what impact our work is having.
But meeting others engaged in the same mission reminded me that I am not alone. I am indeed sure that it was God who brought us together — from different countries and different cultures — to remind us that this mission belongs to Him.
Beyond algorithms and numbers:
One of the biggest changes in my thinking concerns the way I see the people who encounter my content. It is easy for a content creator to become absorbed in numbers — views, likes, shares, comments and followers.
But behind every screen is a person. Every time a piece of content reaches someone’s phone, it reaches a human being who may be searching for something deeper: meaning in life, happiness, peace, companionship, answers to difficult questions, or even faith.
That realisation changes everything. A view is not merely a number. It could be a person who needed encouragement that day. A comment is not merely an engagement statistic.
It could be someone carrying a question, a hurt or even a struggle with faith. The digital missionary must therefore learn to see beyond the screen.
From influencer to evangeliser:
The Assembly also gave me a new orientation to my own media ministry. I have often thought of myself as a content creator and, in some sense, an influencer. But I increasingly feel called to move from being an influencer to becoming an evangeliser.
There is an important difference. An influencer can draw attention to himself or herself. An evangeliser ultimately points beyond himself — towards Christ. That also changes how I look at negative comments and criticism.
Instead of seeing every negative response simply as something to defend against, I can also see such moments as opportunities to offer an authentic Christian witness. I do not have to win every argument.
I need to remain faithful to the person I represent. Who influences the influencer?: Perhaps the most important question I brought back from Manila is this: Before I try to influence others, who is influencing me?
For me, the answer has to be Jesus Christ. If my digital ministry is to be missionary, then prayer cannot be separated from content creation. I need to pray before I create.
I need to ask not merely, ‘Will this video perform well?’ but also, ‘Will this help someone encounter Christ?’ The algorithm may determine how widely something travels.
But prayer must determine why I am creating it in the first place. Jesus is my first follower: One of the most beautiful reflections I encountered during the Assembly came from a conversation with a Sister from China.
We were reflecting on our media ministry as content creators and our preoccupation with algorithms, followers, likes and shares. Then came a simple yet profound thought: Who is my first follower?
For me, that is Jesus Christ.
Before I followed Him, He followed me. Before I knew Him, He knew me. And even when I failed to follow Him faithfully, He never ‘unfollowed’ me. People may follow today and unfollow tomorrow. Algorithms change. Numbers rise and fall. Content becomes popular and then disappears.
But Christ remains faithful. He never unfollows me. That thought has remained with me since the Assembly. My content may not always be great. My life may be flawed. I may make mistakes. But if Jesus is my first follower, then I want to create content that is worthy of that first follower.
A missionary presence on every screen:
The Assembly has therefore left me with a simple but demanding challenge: to become a witness. A witness does not simply speak about something. A witness allows his or her life to testify to what has been encountered.
For me, this means allowing my digital presence to become an extension of my priestly and missionary vocation.
The goal is not simply to gain followers. The goal is to help people encounter the One whom I follow. The goal is not simply to create content. It is to create opportunities for encounter.
The goal is not to make people remember my name. It is to help them remember that God has not forgotten them. I return from Manila grateful for the people I met, the stories I heard and the fraternity I experienced across Asia.
But above all, I return with a renewed sense of mission.
From influencer to evangeliser. From content creator to witness. From seeking followers to remembering my First Follower. And perhaps my prayer for this new chapter of digital ministry is simply this: Jesus, You are my first follower.
Help me create content that is worthy of You. May every screen become a doorway to hope, every post an opportunity for encounter, and every digital connection a small step towards You.
(Father Felix Anthony is a Digital Media Missionary India)