In the context of The Satanic Temple, people will often use “the 2021 transformation” or simply “the transformation” to refer to the overall restructuring of the organization that took place in 2021. Some of the most obvious outcomes of the transformation that were immediately visible to the outside world were: the launch of the ordination program and creation of a Satanic Ministry; the shift from viewing geographically-defined member groups as chapters to viewing them as congregations; the creation of the Society of Congregations to empower congregations to manage their own processes, including compliance with TST guidelines and creating an environment where the congregations are able to grow and thrive.

One of the core philosophical principles of the Transformation is that the core religious activities of The Satanic Temple are carried out by two types of member group: Congregations and Campaigns. Congregations are focused on community activities and support, while Campaigns are focused on specific goals for bringing about material change in the world. Both are crucial to the organization, and to our religious community. As a result, the Congregations and the Campaigns are called the two pillars of TST.

The obvious changes in terminology and structure that emerged from the Transformation are connected to other less obvious changes, as well. For example, the distinction between campaigns and congregations as “two pillars” was also a reaffirmation of their autonomy from one another: members of The Satanic Temple are free to join and participate in either (or both, or neither) as they wish, and neither group may impose on or make demands of the other. Another “behind the scenes” change that emerged from the Transformation was the creation of SatanOps and the launch of TST’s organization-wide intranet platform.

The Transformation was a major change that in many ways is still incomplete. The evolution of The Satanic Temple is ongoing, as members and leadership all work together to figure out how best to fulfill the vision and mission of The Satanic Temple as an organization, while we each also figure out how best to find fulfillment for ourselves as Satanists.