The Church of England is “deeply, institutionally” racist, the Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday, as the church seeks to increase the number of black and ethnic minority clergy in its ranks.
Addressing the General Synod in London, the Most Rev Justin Welby said that he was “almost beyond words” after hearing about the racism faced by minority parishioners, priests and officials within the church. “I’m ashamed of our history and I’m ashamed of our failure,” he said. “I’m ashamed of our lack of witness to Christ. I’m ashamed of my lack of urgent voice to the church . . . It’s shaming as well as shocking.”
He had advantages as a white, straight, educated man, he said, adding: “I’m not ashamed of those advantages; I’m ashamed of not knowing I had them. And I think that’s where we probably need to start.”
The General Synod voted unanimously to apologise for the “conscious and unconscious” racism it showed to members of the Windrush generation and others, many of whom were turned away by Anglican churches or faced discrimination from parishioners and clergy.
The church will also now appoint an independent person to assess racism within its ranks and seek to increase the number of BAME Anglicans seeking ordination.
“We did not do justice in the past. We do not do justice now. And unless we are radical and decisive in this area in the future, we will still be having this conversation in 20 years’ time and still doing injustice, the few of us that remain,” the archbishop said. Father Andrew Moughtin-Mumby, vicar of Walworth parish church in Southwark who brought the initial motion, said that it was exhausting and “humiliating, to have to justify your own seat at the table”.
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