Chris Whitaker, an award-winning communications specialist, serves as the director of communications, outreach, and youth ministry at Christ Church in Short Hills, NJ — a vibrant, growing, diverse suburban parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. 

Chris has been on the staff at Christ Church since 2016 and joined the staff full-time in February 2022. Prior to that, Chris was the co-founder and executive director of Newark-based nonprofit All The Way Up Adult Education Center, a ministry serving adult learners in Northern New Jersey on their way toward a GED. 

At Christ Church, Chris leads the overall communication strategy and their digital ministries, oversees the growth of outreach initiatives, and creates opportunities for youth to actively participate in the life of the parish. His passion for outreach, combined with his expertise as a skilled communicator, allows him to effectively convey the church’s mission and values to a wide audience.  

Chris holds an M.A. in Religious Studies from Drew University and a B.A. in Theology and Communication from McKendree University. He and his wife, Candice, have three young children and live in South Plainfield, NJ. In his spare time he enjoys running, gardening, and listening to podcasts.