In Depth:  racism

Black Church leaders have expressed their disappointment – and anger – over the government-instigated Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report, which was prompted by last year’s Black Lives Matter protests.

The charge was led by former General Director of the Evangelical Alliance and Commissioner of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, Joel Edwards. Speaking exclusively to Evangelicals Now, Edwards expressed his ‘deep annoyance and disappointment’ with the report, which he believed ‘was politically naïve and provocative’ and ended up simply ‘kow-towing to Conservatism’.

Evangelicals in the Church of England are urging Christians to think more deeply about racial issues.

The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) has launched a suite of video resources aimed at getting congregations to think biblically about how they can become more racially aware, sensitive and inclusive.

Tears were shed during a service where a church minister publicly apologised to a member of the Windrush Generation who, 65 years ago, was told not to come back after attending a service at St Paul’s in Clapham, south London.

Pentecostal minister The Revd Carmel Jones, then a 17-year-old boy recently arrived from Jamaica, went to the local Anglican Church. At the end of the service on his third visit to the church, the minister thanked him for coming – but asked him not to return.