A vicar has resigned from a church in south west London after claiming she had been subjected to racist abuse at a parish supper.
Rev Sharon Hunt who was the first black curate in the history of St Mary’s Putney, had taken on extra responsibilities as a vicar when she attended a monthly Seminar Supper with a number of parishioners at one of their homes on 24 September.
But on Sunday 25 October a letter written by Rev Hunt was read out to congregations by the Archdeacon of Wandsworth Bridget Shepherd, which outlined her decision to resign from St Mary’s and the parish of Putney. She wrote that the supper which “was meant to be a pleasant evening amongst friends turned into a personal attack on me and my personhood. I was on the receiving end of racist abuse.”
In the letter, seen by The Times, she added that “It should not go unnoticed that I am the first African-Caribbean heritage priest in the almost 700-year history of this worshipping site.”
Rev Hunt who joined St Mary’s in 2023, claimed that while the “racial abuse was happening, other members of this community present witnessed what was taking place and sat in silence. The silence was palpable”. She said this had made her feel that she was “neither seen nor valued as a member of this community. No one proffered to advocate on my behalf. Inaction and politely looking the other way can never be a response to racism; it is, instead, an act of complicity.”
Although she said she didn’t believe the view was shared by the whole community, she had found the situation “deeply distressing” and had decided to lay down her curacy.
The Diocese of Southwark is providing pastoral support to Rev Hunt and has referred the matter through the relevant process. In a statement it said it was “deeply saddened” by the situation and condemned racism “unequivocally”, adding “our commitment to racial justice must be reflected in our actions as well as our words. Over the coming months, we will review the lessons from this situation and consider how to strengthen anti-racism work with the parish. Our Christian faith calls us to share in one another’s suffering and to work towards healing and repair.”
The Diocese told Premier Christian News that a team of clergy and lay leaders are supporting people within the parish and are “working to identify someone who can offer additional pastoral support to all who have been affected by this”. The Bishop of Kingston and the Archdeacon of Wandsworth are also offering support.