From Lament To Action: the report of the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce
by Archbishop Cranmer:
The Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce have published their report ‘From Lament to Action‘, which proposes a raft of changes designed to bring about a change of culture in the life of the Church of England. “This is the culture change that is required if the Church is to live up to its mandate of being a body where all the gifts of all its people flourish to the full, for the benefit of the church as a whole, the nation of England and the greater glory of God,” they say.
The proposals include:
An expectation that shortlists for jobs in the Church will include at least one appointable UKME candidate – and for more senior roles, right up to bishops, specific requirements to ensure this happens.
New approaches to shortlisting and interviewing which place a duty on the employer to improve participation on an “action or explain” basis rather than relying on “bland encouragements” for under-represented groups to apply.
Recruitment bodies including the Crown Nominations Commission, which nominates diocesan bishops, to provide “valid, publishable reasons” for failure to include UKME candidates on shortlists.
The General Synod co-opting 10 UKME candidates (five clergy and five laity) for its next five-year term, which begins this year.
The House of Bishops inviting UKME clergy to become participant observers until there are at least six UKME bishops in the House.
30% of new intakes on the Strategic Leadership Development Programme – a scheme to support clergy identified as having potential for taking on wider responsibilities – should come from UKME backgrounds, approximately 20 people from a group of 60. The figure is twice the estimated proportion of those who worship in the Church of England to begin tackling the current imbalance in the Church’s leadership by building up potential supply.
The appointment of full-time Racial Justice Officers (RJOs) in every diocese – for a five-year term, funded centrally, alongside a new Racial Justice Directorate, within the National Church Institutions, to oversee implementation of the recommendations of the Taskforce and the Commission.
There is much that could be said about this in a lengthy theological blogpost, but sometimes (very, very occasionally) Twitter offers a thread of insight and golden wisdom. This, from the Rev’d Marcus Walker, Rector at Great St Bartholomew’s in London:
Please right-click links to open in a new window.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
