Church of England holds first Racial Justice Board Meeting

The Church of England in the West Midlands had its inaugural Racial Justice Board meeting on Thursday 2 May.

The meeting brought together a team from across Birmingham, Coventry, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield and Worcester who are working to tackle racism and promote racial justice in our Church, in wider society and in our county.

It is the first collaborative project of its kind in the Church of England, working together to effect change that none of us could create alone.

Racism has no place in the Church of England, but we must face the fact that it still exists. As West Midlands bishops, meeting on Stephen Lawrence Day, we strongly affirm the work of the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce and the report ‘From Lament to Action’ … We acknowledge our part in past and present failures and recognise the challenges it presents. We wholeheartedly support its recommendations and look forward to taking them forward with energy and determination.”

Anglican Bishops in the West Midlands

We need to say it clearly. Racism is a sin. It is an affront to the very nature of God who created us, each one of us, every one of us, with no exceptions, children of one blood … called to rejoice in one another.

Since 2021 and the launch of From Lament to Action, conversations have developed and networks have grown across the West Midlands region about how, together, we might better tackle racism and see it eliminated from our culture, structures and behaviours.

These conversations led to a joint West Midlands Region bid (Birmingham, Coventry, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield, Worcester) to the national Church for funds, recognising that by collaborating across the region, we can develop a team able to effect change in a way that none of us could create alone.

We are excited to share that these funds were approved and now a dynamic team of 11 are being recruited. The new regional Director of Racial Justice has been announced as the Revd Dr Evie Vernon O’Brien. 

We hope that this team, working with all six dioceses, will help us respond and, more importantly, act to confront racism in our Church, in wider society, in our county… and crucially in ourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to be part of this work please do get in touch with Lucy Taylor – ku.gr1743102503o.coi1743102503dsolg1743102503@rola1743102503ytl1743102503