The Archbishop of Canterbury has told Premier that the Church must be “part of the way forward” in changing attitudes which led to racially motivated riots last month.
Speaking at a CofE Racial Justice gathering, attended by Global Majority Heritage church leaders and ordinands from across the UK, he told Premier that the best of the Church was on display in the wake of the protests.
“We saw the Church’s role enormously effectively [after the riots]. The parish system covers every square inch of England. People were out and about on the streets, looking after the most vulnerable.
“Where people were clearing up, you’d find churches involved. Not necessarily leading – you don’t have to lead to participate – but with humility and love, showing Christ.
“We are part of the way forward for this nation… the Church of England has a role as a protector for faiths. To support and help in every way it can. It’s about faith, it’s about integration.”
The Archbishop continued: “It’s about education in our CofE schools, and setting an example there. I did an assembly in a primary school with over 160 native languages. I mean, mind-boggling stuff. There was a real sense of belonging… it moved me almost to tears. That is a school doing the work of Christ.”
'From Lament to Action' is the CofE's current stance on racial justice. In recent years, the Church has grappled with a history mired with the good, bad and ugly of attitudes to race.
Whilst Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect’s abolitionism was rooted in their Anglican faith, in 2023 the Church found that a predecessor to its Commissioner’s endowment fund had links with chattel enslavement.
One ordinand told Premier that being from a non-white background can make leadership roles in the Church feel elusive: “It’s like there are codes. The higher up you get… there are words and phrases you don’t understand, because you haven’t had the cultural background.”
The Most Rev Justin Welby acknowledged that the CofE must do more to represent the diversity of the country: “We must not be complacent. [This event] is about firstly repenting of our past sins. For the racism and racial exclusion of previous generations – particularly in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
“Secondly, it’s about recognising that God in his love calls people to ordained ministry and lay leadership from every place and race, in this incredibly diverse country.”
The Archbishop emphasised that diversifying the Church’s demographic must be an organic process, rather than a tick-box exercise: “The next step is to continue to listen carefully, and not get locked into a quota approach, but a justice and people approach.
“We must not distinguish on charisms. We seek to see where God is moving in someone’s heart. We must recognise and bless that. That’s the vision.”
Guy Hewitt, head of the Church’s Racial Justice Unit, said: “There’s been fantastic work we’ve done in capacity building and bringing people together.
“A big challenge is making it so that those aspiring to leadership roles can succeed. There are specific doors you have to go through to find promotions to the level of deacon, archbishop, or anything else.
“We need to make sure those doors are open to all.”