Capstone Portfolio of Sarah TevisTownes, Pacific School of Religion
Welcome!
Welcome to my capstone project for the Doctor of Ministry program at the Pacific School of Religion! This website is designed to give you a taste of digital ministry tools and spark ideas for your own decolonial work.
My social media username @disorganized.religion is fitting, as the end goal of my research is not the creation of a centralized, hierarchical digital “church.” Instead, I explore how a wide variety of digital tools can be used to bring the Good News of God’s love to a broader audience while also decolonizing and transforming brick-and-mortar churches.
Is there a "correct" way to view this project?
There is no “right” way to approach this project. Feel free to explore at your own pace and direction. If you'd like a guided tour through the material, just click the NEXT button at the bottom of any page to move on to the next topic. Links to all project topics are also provided at the top and bottom of each page. To return to the beginning, simply click on the HOME button at the top or bottom of any page.
why decolonize the church?
Mainline American Protestant churches such as the United Church of Christ were built on faith; however, the legacies of colonialism are also built into our DNA. Colonial systems and values that uphold racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, ableism, and other abuses of power are woven into the fabric of our churches, and they are also fundamentally antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ. We must decolonize the church in order to fully live into God's call to love our neighbor and build God's kin(g)dom on earth.
Digital tools, when used intentionally for healing and decolonization, have the potential to transform the church by connecting existing Christians to the wider Body of Christ while also offering spiritual seekers agency and safe spaces from which to experience the Divine and explore their spirituality.
what is decolonial praxis?
The Decolonizing Humanities Project at William and Mary University puts it this way: "Coloniality refers to the logic, metaphysics, ontology, and matrix of power created by the massive processes and aftermath of colonization and settler-colonialism....decoloniality is a way for us to re-learn the knowledge that has been pushed aside, forgotten, buried or discredited by the forces of modernity, settler-colonialism, and racial capitalism."
Praxis is the process by which a theory like decoloniality is applied and put into practice. Digital ministry as decolonial praxis is therefore the practical work of using digital ministry tools to challenge and disrupt the legacies of colonial systems of power and discover the wisdom that "has been pushed aside, forgotten, buried or discredited by the forces of modernity, settler-colonialism, and racial capitalism."
What is decolonial praxis in everyday english?
Decolonial praxis means putting decolonial theory into practice. That includes:
1. Critically examining how colonialism continues to shape modern political, economic, cultural, social, and knowledge systems (including the church!).
2. Breaking away from the lasting effects of colonialism. This includes challenging the ideas, norms, and values rooted in Western colonialism that continue to influence various aspects of our lives, including economics, culture, and religion.
3. Dismantling systems and institutions that reinforce colonial systems of power, reimagining, and rebuilding with the goal of creating a more just and equitable world.
4. Centering and ceding power to the knowledge, voices, and experiences of people marginalized by colonialism and coloniality.
(adapted from Sara Duvisac, "Decolonize: What does it mean?", OXFAM, 2022)
What's the difference between colonialism and coloniality?
Colonialism is the historical reality of colonization. Coloniality describes the lasting impacts of colonialism.
For a more in-depth exploration of these concepts, I highly recommend a publication done for OXFAM entitled "Decolonize: What does it mean?" by Sara Duvisac, where she explains that colonialism refers to the "historical process in which European and Western powers exerted territorial, political, social, and cultural power over non-Western territories between, roughly, the 15th and mid-20th centuries. Although non-western colonization exists, decolonial theory focuses on European and Western expansion and its relations to the development of capitalism."
She clarifies that coloniality, on the other hand, describes the impacts of colonialism, which "continue to shape and ground our present-day political, economic, social, and knowledge systems." She offers the example of Western property relations, which "first emerged in the United Kingdom and are now central to modern society and capitalism. They were instituted, often violently, across the globe through colonialism. In this way, western private property relations are a form of coloniality; a decolonial intervention would imply instituting alternative property relations (e.g., collective or community ownership) that break from colonial private property relations to create more equitable ones."
Image created with Google's Gemini.
What sets digital tools apart?
Most of us live segregated lives. At the Pacific School of Religion, we can be thankful for a diverse student body and faculty, but think about the people in your church or neighborhood - how often are they engaging with people from different cultures, ethnicities and religions? Online tools allow us to connect across boundaries from the comfort of our homes. They also allow us to connect with members of our local community, such as working parents, disabled people, and home-bound individuals, who may find it difficult to attend gatherings in person.
The reach of digital tools can also be massive! In 30 days, a single digital ministry account like mine may reach more 1 million viewers (seeimage)--that's more than the total number of members in the United Church of Christ! The possibilities to connect to new audiences (and be transformed by them) are astounding in the digital space!
At the end of the day, digital tools are still just that--tools. As in any ministry, it's essential you know your "why." Do you want to use digital tools to spread the Gospel? To help meet the needs of marginalized people? To connect existing church members? To empower young people? To connect elderly community members to a meaningful community? Digital tools are just a “how.” Start with your “why" and then see how digital tools might facilitate your work!
is digital the death of brick-and-mortar churches?
Absolutely not! Brick-and-mortar churches continue to be a place where people build community, connect with the Divine, and participate in the healing of the world. A digital tool is just that--a tool! Digital tools have the potential to enable brick-and-mortar communities to connect in even deeper ways with one another while simultaneously decolonizing the church!
What is the biblical case for using digital tools?
Jesus said "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (Mathew 28:19-20). In Acts, the Apostles are instructed to be witnesses "in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Digital tools enable us to share God's love with a broader community, including an audience gathering primarily online.
Jesus’ ministry also amplified marginalized voices. Digital tools can enfranchise people from a wide variety of backgrounds by empowering them to share their stories, theologies, and experiences, many of which may be excluded from dominant narratives. Engaging with diverse perspectives using digital tools connects us to what Paul described as the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). By encountering others using digital tools, we have the opportunity to encounter God in new ways!
What if I'm a tech dinosaur? Do I have to use digital tools?
The short answer is no - you can continue to do ministry in ways that are comfortable for you!
On the other hand, the pandemic taught us that whether you're 9 or 99, with God's help, you can adapt to new technology like cell phones and Zoom in order to connect with others.
My hope is that this project will empower you to better understand digital tools and how to use them, should you choose. It is also my hope that you will walk away with an understanding of how digital tools could enrich the work and ministry you are already passionate about.
What is the author's social location?
I am a European-American English speaker who grew up between the suburbs of Dallas, TX and the vibrant cityscape of Tokyo, Japan. My early relationships to God and the church were shaped by the Presbyterian Church USA and Tokyo Union Church. I also spent time living abroad in Spain and Micronesia. I currently serve as the Pastor and Teacher at a progressive, Open and Affirming United Church of Christ Congregation, Church of the Good Shepherd, UCC in Albuquerque, NM. Part of my ministry there includes digital outreach through platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. I also navigate life with a disability and rely on a service dog for increased independence. I have a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and Spanish with a focus in Latin American Studies from Duke University and a Master's of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion. I identify as pansexual, use she/her pronouns, and am married with adult children.
Click here or click the "About" tab at the top of the page to learn more about me, my social location, and my journey into digital ministry.
Will watching your tiktok videos share my data with china?
All TikTok videos included in this project are cross-posted on YouTube or Vimeo and are embedded into this website directly. You will not need to connect to TikTok or create a TikTok account to view any content in this project.
That being said, all internet, social media, text, and email pose potential privacy concerns. Feel free to click here to learn more about digital privacy and creating Safe Spaces in the digital environment. I encourage you to read the letter to the editor and watch the video I composed below, which both address why I continue to use TikTok as a tool for decolonization.