Anglican clergy in London to be asked to promote antiracism in sermons

"Church of England clergy will be encouraged to promote antiracism in sermons as senior figures unlock thousands of pounds in funding to promote diversity initiatives in London. Church Commissioners, the body that manages C of E assets, is funding the Diocese of London, which covers more than 400 parishes and 18 boroughs north of the River Thames, to boost inclusion work as part of the three-year Racial Justice Priority (RJP) project."

"We want racial justice to inform our missional, theological and church practices treating each other as created in the image of God is central to our wider Christian faith. Whether it's Bible studies, baptismal preparations, confirmation preparations or sermons, what we would like to actively promote is racial justice as one of the ways of engaging with the challenges of the church, through resources that can be used in these spaces."

The Church Commissioners is funding the Diocese of London with £730,000 for a three-year Racial Justice Priority (RJP) project to boost inclusion across more than 400 parishes and 18 boroughs north of the River Thames. RJP is separate from the Church of England's £100m Project Spire commitment. The funding aims to encourage clergy to promote antiracism in sermons and to support educational initiatives in churches and C of E schools about links between church buildings and transatlantic slavery. Churches will be funded to support refugees and asylum seekers, promote diversity in leadership, and provide theologically informed unconscious-bias training for parish councils.

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