The Suryan Council (also called “SurCo”) provides unbiased and independent Human Resource and investigative support to The Satanic Temple, its member groups, and affiliated media organizations. SurCo is responsible for the implementation and enforcement of organization-wide policies, including the Code of Conduct. This means that they investigate alleged violations of the TST Code of Conduct, and will work with the affected parties to remedy ongoing circumstances that may impair the organization’s effectiveness. Depending on the outcome of the investigation and the severity of the complaint, they may require remedies up to and including removal from the organization.

If you believe a member of The Satanic Temple has violated the Code of Conduct, you may report it to the Suryan Council by emailing: suryancouncil@thesatanictemple.com. Please be concise and detailed, and make sure you include any relevant evidence (e.g. screenshots) in your report.

The Suryan Council is one of three teams that perform organization-wide functions, serving both pillars of The Satanic Temple. The other two such teams are the Ordination Council and SatanOps.

What does “Suryan” mean?

The name “Suryan” appears in August Dillmann’s nineteenth century translation from Ethiopian into English of the Ethiopic Didascalia, a third century collection of Christian religious texts that make up the Orthodox Tewahedo, sometimes called the Ethiopic Bible. Biblical Scholars believe that the Ethiopic Didascalia were translated from Arabic texts, that themselves were translated from Greek at some point in the second century. Dillmann’s translation of the text from Ethiopian script names Suryan as the archangel of justice, fairness, and harmony: the angel who keeps all of the fallen angels calm and reasonable. This makes Archangel Suryan an appropriate icon for the group responsible for handling matters of conduct and disputes.