Practical Theology Program Includes its First Tongan

Meet Tu’uta Sekeni, the first Pacific Islander and Tongan to pursue the Ph.D. in Practical Theology – Education and Formation track at CST! Having completed all coursework and qualifying exams, he is left with the task of completing his dissertation.

Before coming to CST, Tu’uta worked in construction as a concrete contractor and then as a band director at the Free Church of Tonga (STT) in the Salt Lake City area. He then moved back to Tonga to serve as a pastor and the district supervisor at the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. In 2014, Tu’uta moved to Claremont to pursue both the MDiv and MA at CST. In his commencement speech in 2018, he explained:

 “My time here in Claremont has been a time of self-discovery. When I first started I realized it was difficult to comprehend the diversity in the community. The issues of gender, race, faith and tradition together with the academic pressures felt like I was facing a brick wall. This wall became a challenge to me, and it seemed as if I would never make a breakthrough. 

“Then I remembered one Free Wesleyan motto: ‘Tonga Mo’unga ki he loto,’ which means ‘Tongan mountains are their heart.’ However, if you look at the geology of Tonga there are no mountains. Therefore, the mountains in the motto refer to the hearts of the Tongans; it is their hearts which have become the mountains. 

“Then I came to realize that it wasn’t the wall of indifference which was a challenge but it was me that was putting up the wall. I understood that if I wanted to face the challenge, I had to become the challenge. Rather than building up the wall of isolation, separation, segregation, and demarcation, I needed to build bridges that could break through that wall by climbing to the top of the mountain of my heart in order to see beyond and to love them all. 

“Claremont is the place where I learnt to build bridges which connected and embraced diversity. There was no need for walls because we are relational beings that coexist together.”

One person who welcomed Tu’uta during this cultural and geographical transition to California was Professor Frank Rogers. “He took the time to say ‘hi’ to me and came and talked to me, and it made me feel at home,” Tu’uta said. The seven (!) courses he has taken with Professor Rogers during his time at CST have been crucial to his formation. Tu’uta also profusely thanked all the professors who have guided him:

“I can’t do this without the help of my mentors, the professors in my journey: Dr. Kuan, Dr. Kujawa-Holbrook, and Dr. Frank Rogers. And all the faculty team—they have helped me. Because I have two masters, I have learned from almost all the professors here. I’m thankful to CST for opening up my mind to things and helping guide me through it.”

Courses in spiritual formation and religious education have been vital to Tu’uta’s journey at CST and his vision for his dissertation. He aims to reach all Tongans in an exploration of culture, deep meaning, and connection. Tu’uta spoke to the need for an “inner self-contextualization” one can work toward using skills and practices demonstrated in Professor Rogers’ courses, for example, and how this can serve as a tool for Tongans whether they live in Tonga, are immigrants in the United States, or are descendents of immigrants.

Tu’uta wants to help Tongans navigate cultural differences in America as well as understand their own culture and practices. He explained, “Every element that we practice has a message for us, so we need to know what’s behind them. Otherwise we’re practicing it without knowing the values behind what we’re doing.” For example, reconnecting Tongans with the meanings behind traditional clothing can not only enrich their practices, but also encourage people to carry these values and knowledge with them regardless of what they’re wearing. “It’s in their mindset,” Tu’uta says.

For Tu’uta, spiritual formation at CST has contributed greatly to an increased sense of self-awareness, or, as he puts it in an apt metaphor: “CST has really shaped the way I’m cooking.” (The metaphorical layer here alludes to religious and cultural education.) He explained: “It trained me not only to cook for the people in Tonga, [but also] to cook for the Tongan Americans, cook for the Tongan immigrants…[and] they can add a little ‘salt’ or ‘seasoning’—whatever they need to transform their spiritual life.”

Tu’uta stays busy serving as the district supervisor for the Wesleyan Methodist churches in LA, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. This practical experience, alongside his completed coursework and the relationships he’s cultivated at CST, is shaping his dissertation. Whatever his future following CST holds, Tu’uta said, “My hope is to be a servant to my people…To be able to cook for others, not just myself.”