Diocesan Press Release

Inquiry into Racism in Church

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 13 March 1999

The Rt Rev Dr Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark, is to launch an independent inquiry into the structures of his Diocese in terms of racial equality. His Diocese serves South London and East Surrey, and includes Eltham, the scene of Stephen Lawrence's murder. The recent Macpherson Report's definition of institutional racism in the police force prompted the Bishop in consultation with his three Area bishops to invite the Commission for Racial Equality to participate in an independent body to investigate.

Bishop Butler announced the plan at the meeting of the Southwark Diocesan Synod on Saturday 13 March. He expects the inquiry to report by the end of the year. Meanwhile, he is seeking to foster and enable more clergy vocations from black Anglicans. He is also going to work to ensure black representation on all boards, councils and committees of the Diocese. He will arrange training in race awareness for his senior staff and wants to see such training become part and parcel of every level of diocesan life.

In his Presidential address to the synod, he spoke of the inequalities black people experience in the police, in education and in nursing, and said, "And then there's the Church. Are we any better? No we are not, and yet there are two reasons why we should be even more concerned about institutionalised racism than other organisations. First because our base commandments tell us to love God with all our hearts and mind and soul and love our neighbour as ourselves - it doesn't mention whether that love should be of a different quality depending upon the colour of our neighbour's skin....

Then secondly we're concerned because we are, in fact, a multi-ethnic church. The Church of England indeed has more black members than any other denomination, and to my delight, many of them are worshipping here in the Diocese of Southwark."

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