The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt Rev Dame Sarah Mullally, has reaffirmed the Church of England’s £100m ($134m) slavery reparations fund, saying it is grounded in Christian teaching despite pressure from 27 British MPs and peers to cancel it.
In a letter responding to the group, led by Conservative MP Katie Lam, Dame Sarah wrote that the Church’s historic involvement with “African chattel enslavement” must be met with “care, clarity and respect for the responsibilities entrusted to the Church.”
She added: “Our calling to confront historic injustice and our commitment to sustaining parish life therefore both flow from the same Gospel imperative: to love our neighbour as ourselves and to enable all to flourish.”
The fund is part of Project Spire, an initiative run by the Church Commissioners.
It will provide seed capital for community projects and businesses that benefit people affected by the legacy of slavery.
The Commissioners said the plan aligns with the Church’s Fourth Mark of Mission “to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation.”
In a letter sent in December 2025, the MPs and peers opposing the plan said the Church’s endowment should instead be used for “parish ministry, maintain church buildings, and care for the Church’s historic records.” They argued that redirecting £100m away from these duties was wrong, describing the project as “legally dubious” and warning that it could set a “worrying precedent”.
Signatories included senior Conservatives Chris Philp, Claire Coutinho, and Neil O’Brien.
Dame Sarah stressed that the fund “does not diminish the Church’s support of or investment in parish ministry or clergy.” She noted that £1.6bn is allocated to parishes over the next three years.
Despite this, a poll of 500 practicing Anglicans by Merlin Strategy found that 81 percent of churchgoers said Church funds should be prioritized for local parishes rather than reparations.
The survey also found that 61 percent said they might redirect donations to other charities if the fund went ahead, while only 19 percent supported reparations as a priority.