Organizations Without Credibility No. 2: The Church of EnglandArchived Message
Posted by Morrissey on December 13, 2019, 1:35 am
The church’s record on combating racism was “no less woeful now than it was 30 years ago”, John’s letter said. “Black and global majority people in the church, whether as clergy, laity or employees are still experiencing discrimination and exclusion, benign and sugar-coated or otherwise, at every level of organisation in the church and yet, their active presence in communion with the church is responsible for its survival and buoyancy in many communities.”
In an accompanying statement, John said: “What gives the archbishop of Canterbury the right to endorse the chief rabbi’s scaremongering about Corbyn and adopt such a lofty moral position in defence of the Jewish population? I have often had cause to wonder how it is that Justin Welby was made archbishop of Canterbury, rather than John Sentamu [archbishop of York] … it was widely expected – in some circles at least – that Sentamu would get that post. Sentamu was a highly respected black senior cleric and had been a bishop since 1996 and archbishop of York since 2005.”
John added: “If Anglicans in the UK from the African and Asian diaspora were to judge Justin Welby as the leader of the established church by the same criteria he appears to be employing in his assessment of Jeremy Corbyn, he too would fail the fitness to lead test.”
Dr Elizabeth Henry, the Church of England’s adviser on race and ethnicity, said: “Prof John made an immense contribution to the work of the committee for minority ethnic Anglican concerns and he will be greatly missed by the committee and the wider church. We wish him well for the future.”