Archbishops Commission Reports for Racial Justice

The Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice has published its sixth and final report, following three years of extensive interrogation and questioning of the Church of England’s willingness to embed racial justice in its structures and the practice of its ministry.

Mandated to drive ‘significant cultural and structural change on issues of racial justice within the Church of England’, the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice (ACRJ), headed by The Rt Hon. Lord Paul Boateng, was charged with monitoring, holding to account and supporting the implementation of the 47 recommendations of the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce which were laid out in the Taskforce’s comprehensive 2021 report, From Lament to Action.

In his final foreword, Lord Boateng describes the Commission’s trajectory over the preceding three years, recording the frustrations, highs and lows, and examples of those in leadership who were willing to share their insights openly and honestly. He calls for the church to address the “gaping wound of racial injustice that afflicts it” and to “reach out and welcome all comers”.

The report highlights in its summary that a consensus about the need for change is not yet fully in place, and a strategy for bringing about change has not yet been adopted at all the front lines of the Church.

The Commission identifies four priorities as key to further progress:

1. Nurturing a worship culture in the Church of England that reflects the rich mix of backgrounds and accents present within the Church today. Worship leaders must be enabled to use the flexibility allowed to them by Canon Law to lead acts of worship drawing on the wealth of material which has been generated across the Anglican Communion. The diverse voices present within our communities must be heard in the worship of our Church, Sunday by Sunday.
2. The Church of England needs to have a robust structure of governance in place across its many component parts which ensures that a sustained focus on racial justice becomes a normal part of its policy and practice. This must be adequately resourced at all levels of the Church and make a difference at the front lines of the Church, especially within parishes.
3. The Church of England needs to put an adequate complaints system in place which will enable those who have been treated badly to have their negative experiences genuinely heard. In addition, individuals (and the Church as a whole) must learn from mistakes made in the past and improve their practice in the future. Church leaders need to move from a defensive stance where complaints are ignored, or managed away, to a progressive stance where complaints drive learning and progress.
4. The barriers to full participation for all within the Church of England identified in the report ‘Behind the Stained-Glass’ must be addressed in a sustained and comprehensive manner. This is our opportunity to truly be the Church which we say we are.

Acknowledging publication of the ACRJ’s final report, The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell said:

“I begin by thanking Lord Boateng and every member of the Commission for their commitment and dedication to this work. Their mandate was by no means easy, and I acknowledge the frustrations that they evidenced in report after report over the last three years. Their proposed priorities are achievable, and I and my fellow Bishops are committed to ensuring that we drive forward the change and progress needed to eradicate racial injustice within the Church, and march into the light of God.”