Parishioners have started withdrawing their donations from local churches in protest against the Church of England's £100 million slavery reparations fund.

Church officers have expressed concerns that the establishment of the fund in January 2023 to "address past wrongs of slavery" has deterred churchgoers from donating.

Luke Appleton, a churchwarden at Paignton Parish Church in Exeter, noted the "anger" among church members regarding the Church’s commitment, with some even removing the Church from their wills.

In a question submitted to the General Synod, the Church’s legislative body, Mr. Appleton inquired whether churches would be compensated for the loss of donations due to the backlash against the fund.

Accoridng to The Telegraph Bishops have reassured congregations that no local parish donations are being used for the fund. The Bishop of Salisbury, representing the Church Commissioners—who manage over £10 billion in assets for the Church of England, including the reparations fund—clarified that the money comes from the church’s central investment fund and is allocated to grants for projects aiding communities still affected by the legacy of the slave trade.

He added, "We do not have any data about a material loss in giving due to the Church Commissioners’ work to address links to African chattel enslavement, although we have heard anecdotally that some givers may have chosen to withdraw their support."

To address misconceptions, the Church has produced a "Myth-Buster resource" to counter misleading impressions about the reparations fund from some media coverage.

Mr. Appleton emphasised that this issue has been the most contentious among faithful church members over the past year. He recounted concerns from parishioners questioning why they should donate from their limited pensions when the Church has a £100 million fund perceived as being misspent.

Appleton highlighted the frustration, particularly in parishes unable to secure dedicated vicars or funds to repair their historic buildings, as they see large sums diverted from what they consider the Church’s core purpose.

The General Synod will discuss questions regarding reparations from Friday until Tuesday, July 9 July.

The fund was announced following a report by the Church Commissioners on Queen Anne’s Bounty, which invested the equivalent of £440 million today in the slave trade through the South Sea Company between 1720 and 1740.

While termed “reparations,” the fund’s interest will support community projects in black communities in Britain, rather than being distributed as compensation to descendants of enslaved people.

Campaigners have urged redirecting the funds to struggling rural parishes to help revive shrinking congregations, with nearly 300 parishes having closed in the past five years due to declining numbers of Anglican worshippers in England. This situation has forced rural churches to share priests and rely on lay volunteers and retired ministers.

Some historians have questioned the validity of the research behind the fund's establishment. Robert Tombs, Emeritus Professor of History at Cambridge, argued that the Church is paying reparations for a crime it likely did not commit with profits it did not make, noting that most of the Church’s investments have no connection to the slave trade. He suggested that the Church seek a second opinion on their understanding of the situation.

The topic will be discussed at the General Synod meeting in York from Friday until Tuesday, July 9.