Danyelle Thomas is a church girl — born and bred in the church. But with all the drama and trauma she found in church, she never envisioned becoming a pastor, mostly because that office was rarely offered to believers of the female persuasion.
But today, Thomas stands as the “Passuh” to thousands who are members of her online congregation, Unfit Christian, a digital faith community she launched in 2016 that offers a safe haven for those seeking acceptance, kindness, healing and wholeness.
RELATED: The Hidden Pain of Church Hurt
“It’s a faith community where we confront religion at the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, all of the systems of oppression — but more than that, all of the systems and structure of culture,” Thomas says.
She says the community has grown because it resonated with “folks who had left the church but hadn’t left God.” These are the “folks who didn’t immediately jump to atheism or agnosticism, but folks who were like, ‘I still believe in God, I’m just not sure I believe in the church.’”
Thomas’s journey to creating Unfit Christian is chronicled in her new book, “The Day God Saw Me as Black,” which releases on October 29. The autobiographical chronicle delves into her spiritual trek, embracing her identity, and finding joy in what she calls her “unfitness.”
As a good pastor, Thomas was quick to offer three standout points of “The Day God Saw Me As Black.”
“Christianity is not the white man’s religion. The pursuit of power is. Internalized anti-Blackness is a hell of a drug, especially when the Bible is your most faithful dealing. That’s chapter five,” she says.
Her next point is the one she most wants readers to get: “You can hear a different story of God, and you can always return to yourself,” — referring to the multiple ways scriptures have been used to assign sin to the collective Blackness of people of African descent.
And most of all, Thomas wants the takeaway to be the imperative to think for oneself.
“This is not just a millennial thing,” the 36-year old author says. “This is very much, I think, Black folks generation after generation. We’ve gone from being in conversation with our churches to being talked at and talked to in our churches.”
The book, she says, is an invitation to imagine “what could be if we stopped denying ourselves and each other full liberation.” And for Thomas, it’s a manifesto for those who feel disconnected from traditional church spaces but still long for spiritual belonging.
The Unfit Christian Experience
Thomas’s digital congregation not only engages in theological discussions but also helps attendees support one another in tangible ways, from mutual aid efforts to community support during life’s significant moments like weddings and funerals.
The congregation is unlike any typical church setting, though. The community includes people from various religious backgrounds — all united in their search for a welcoming, judgment-free space.
““I have friends who are part of this congregation who come from Islamic backgrounds, Jewish backgrounds, traditional Black Pentecostal backgrounds, atheism, agnosticism, and Buddhism,” she says. “So many different variations of practice in between, and yet we formed this community.”
The inclusive faith space resonates beyond the boundaries of traditional church structures. Thomas calls it “digital discipleship,” and encourages open dialogue on issues often avoided in conventional religious settings.
Faith Beyond Church Walls
Thomas’s work speaks to a broader trend in the Black faith community: a shift away from traditional church settings in favor of more flexible and inclusive forms of worship. It’s not unheard of, especially in a post-COVID time when even traditional worshippers have more choice in their worship style, schedule, and location,” she notes.
“People have been living, leaving organized religion for years and generations,” Thomas says. “I think what’s novel about it is now creating and fostering a new version of what faith community looks like, So it’s still very much reminiscent for a lot of folks. They tell me, you know, you’re my pastor, you’re my pastor.”
In fact, her mission has resonated far beyond what she initially imagined — and as the good pastor Thomas is, she tends to the flock according to their need.
“I’m starting to make community with tangible, physical churches,” she says. “And I’m able to send people to churches that are safe now, because folks do still want that type of in-person community.”
She recalls a recent visit to a historic Black church in Nashville, where the pastor, Bishop Aaron Marble, welcomed her digital congregants into his physical church community. A member of her digital congregation invited her, and when she met the pastor, “it turned out the pastor had been following me for a while,” she says.
This blending of online and offline faith communities is a critical part of Thomas’s vision.
“I’m one person, I can’t be in multiple places at one time, except through the internet,” she says. And she’s already seeing her efforts pay off as she connects her online followers with churches that offer the in-person spiritual support they seek.
A Model for the Future
Thomas envisions Unfit Christian as a model for future faith communities that prioritize inclusivity and liberation. Her mission is to create more safe, welcoming spaces — both digital and physical — for those who still believe in God but are disillusioned by the traditional church. As she expands Unfit Christian’s reach, she hopes to partner with more churches and faith leaders who share her values.
“I’m glad to see more pastors welcoming my people and making those spaces welcoming for them. It makes me feel like I’m doing the work that’s necessary.”
With “The Day God Saw Me as Black” and Unfit Christian, Thomas hopes to push the boundaries of what faith communities can look like — more inclusive, more accessible, and more connected to the realities of those who have long felt left out. And as more people seek alternatives to traditional worship, it’s clear the community she’s building is only going to grow.