WCC interview: Rev. Canon Dr Carlton Turner reflects on what “decolonizing” really means

Rev. Canon Dr Carlton Turner of the Church in the Province of the West Indies serves with the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education Birmingham, UK, and is a member of the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission. He took time to reflect on an international colloquium, "Decolonizing Ecumenical Hermeneutics,” held in June. Photo; Albin Hillert/WCC 28 July 2026 The International colloquium was organized by the Wittenberg Center for Advanced Studies, World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order, Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, and Faculty of Theology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. At the colloquium, Rev. Canon Dr Carlton Turner offered a keynote entitled “Decolonisation and the Inner Journey of the Church: A Caribbean Observation.”  What did you take away from the colloquium? Dr Turner: A robust conversation about what decolonization means has been going on, and what I really appreciate is that the work is continuing to be promoted. What do we need in order to have a true ecumenical dialogue about decolonization?  Dr Turner: I think in order to have a true ecumenical dialogue, we must first have enough denominational or faith-based groupings—our own internal conversations. Unless we are prepared to do that, then our ecumenical conversations won’t be deep enough. I think that’s exactly what we are doing—presenting these ideas, these challenges where, for example, Europe might get to know a context like the Caribbean, one that has a related but different history. Unless we know what’s exactly going on and what is challenging us, I don’t think we get as deeply as we can in really wrestling with the concepts and ideas. Do you have hope for change? Dr Turner: I think, because I am in these communities, I learn as much as I teach. Plus, I think I remember where I come from and the challenge we have. I’m rooted or try to be rooted in material reality or cultural context so working here in the UK, I am focusing on racial justice. I am always involved in things that need some thinking though. I just want people to continue this great work and move it around the globe so people are aware of the message, the discussions, the kinds of connections of Nicaea 2025, and how those discussions affect how we train clergy, how we do theology, and how we do theological research. That’s my hope and, with these encounters, I can support that. How does this help the next generation of theologians?  Dr Turner: We’re doing this to shape what’s to come. I’d like to make sure that we think long-term, and we think deep. We need to figure out all the ways in which our theologies are problematic, unhelpful, complex, and give our next generation tools to deal with all of our baggage. We are not innocent or neutral. I take an inward journey approach, as that’s the only way we can get disentangled from some of these things. The only way to face our problems is to turn inward and face ourselves. Young generations can have the tools, and one of the key tools is a de-colonial approach that is meant to question, challenge, and retrain basic assumptions.  International colloquium offers de-colonial lens on theology (WCC news release, 26 June 2026) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland