The national Lament to Action Report has been the instrumental in beginning the long overdue work to bring about racial justice and reconciliation within our Church and society. Any tolerance of inequality on grounds of race devalues God’s creation, and The Church must be committed to confronting the sinful reality of persistent and pernicious racism. There is much to repent of and still much work to do. And to achieve it will involve change at every level: national, diocesan, parish and church. To help develop a diocesan strategy we have formed a Racial Justice Advisory Group who:
- Have lived experience
- Are ready to challenge our (current) structures, policies, etc
- Are able to review proposed strategy and changes to working practices
- Are able to help us to find opportunities and remove blockages
Bishop David will lead the Advisory Group as it gathers information and shapes a diocesan strategy for Bishop’s Council approval. To do this, the advisory group will be able to call on a wide range of diocesan staff for expert knowledge and advice. With elections for diocesan synod coming up in 2024, it is hoped that we will begin to see a wide and diverse range of people coming forward to be represented not just on the Racial Justice Advisory Group, but on diocesan synod and all of our synodical committees, too. We’re delighted that the following individuals have agreed to be part of our Advisory Group:
- Mel Osborne – Brockenhurst
- Yin-Yin Bull – Fair Oak
- Bev Price – Southampton St Mark
- Stephen Bennett – Brockenhurst
- Bruce Viney – Bournemouth St Clement
- Emma Trenier – National Church
- Mike Powis – Bournemouth All Saints
- Jane Kelly – RE & SIAMS Consultant
- John Hudson – Basingstoke
- Serena Merritt – Hythe
- Tess Kuin Lawton – Winchester Cathedral