Anglican clergy in London to be asked to promote antiracism in sermons | Anglicanism
Church of England clergy will be encouraged to promote anti-racism in sermons as senior figures unlock thousands of pounds of funding to support diversity initiatives in London.
The Church Commissioners, the body that manages C of E assets, are funding the Diocese of London, which covers more than 400 parishes and 18 boroughs north of the River Thames, to increase engagement work as part of its three-year Racial Justice Priority (RJP) project.
It is separate from the £100 million the RJP has promised to allocate to the Spire Project, a commitment to create a “healing, reparation and justice fund” to address the C of E’s historical links to the enslavement of African peoples.
But the £730,000 in funding for RJP represents a significant statement of intent by the church. conservative figures claim Project Spire strays from ‘core obligations’.
The Right Rev. Dr. Bishop of Edmonton and presiding bishop for racial justice for the Diocese of London. Anderson Jeremiah said the various congregations reflected the Anglican presence in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean as a colonial legacy and that the church needed to create “a sense of belonging for everyone.”
He said of RJP: “We want racial justice to guide our missionary, theological and church practices; treating each other as created in the image of God is central to our broader Christian faith.
“Whether it be Bible studies, baptismal preparations, confirmation preparations, or sermons, what we want to actively promote is racial justice as one of the ways to meet the challenges of the church through resources that can be used in those areas.”
RJP funding will be used to support educational initiatives in churches and C of E schools about church buildings’ connections to transatlantic slavery.
Lisa Adjei, president of the diocesan RJP, said churches will also be funded to support refugees and asylum seekers and will be expected to promote diversity in leadership, while unconscious bias training for parochial church councils will be “theologically informed.”
Insiders say the RJP was designed to finance social cohesion work “while always respecting the autonomy of neighbourhoods.” tracking 2021 From Lament to Action The report called for urgent “culture change” to combat “racial sin”.
Adjei said advocacy, which means the church “speaks up and stands in solidarity” on issues such as youth safety, health disparities and immigration, as well as anti-racist practices in education, representation, structures and governance have been identified as key areas for RJP.
“This goes back to who we are as a church, our theology, which is about loving our neighbor,” Adjei said.
“Whether the far right exists or not, we intend to take care of the asylum seeker, the refugee, and the immigrant. What we want to do is allow people to see that faith and racial justice live side by side.”
Last week, the new archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, He defended the Spire Project It was “rooted in the Christian call for repentance, reconciliation and, above all, hope” after Tory party critics claimed the fund would divert cash away from local congregations.
Mullally said the church was inspired by the example of anti-slavery campaigners such as Olaudah Equiano, adding: “Project Spire does not reduce the church’s support or investment in church ministry or clergy…Ecclesiastical Commissioners’ support for dioceses and parishes continues to grow.”
It is hoped RJP will be a catalyst for other funding proposals for racial justice work, Jeremiah said, adding: “Our faith in Jesus Christ compels us to work towards equality and justice for all. It’s about how we counter the far-right narrative and create a sense of belonging for everyone.”
Adjei added: “If we had kept our focus on the potential pushback and dissatisfaction, we probably wouldn’t have started, but because God’s love compels us, we keep going, even in the face of resistance. What we want to do is make sure we keep having conversations with people who disagree with us.”
