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Black, British, Christian

Why are there so few Black clergy in the Church of England? Is racism the reason?

For the Church of England, forming truly multi-cultural parishes and encouraging vocations among black and ethnic minority Christians is "unfinished business," as a recent report puts it.

Others call it "business barely begun" – particularly with regard to African-Caribbean men born in the UK.

Racism, they say, is still a live issue.

In this programme, Paul Bakibinga examines whether this is true, or whether there are other factors that put young Black men off the Church of England.

Among others, he meets Rose Hudson-Wilkin, born in Jamaica, who has succeeded 78 white men as Speaker's Chaplain at the House of Commons;

Azariah France-Williams, a young black priest with Caribbean roots, who is building a church community on a housing estate in West London; and

Daniel Kajumba, the Church of England's only black Archdeacon, who calls the lack of senior black clergy "a demon that must be cast out."

But he also hears from black people who have chosen other churches, not least because they see the Church of England as too middle class.

Photo: God is a rainbow God, and we are a rainbow people. Credit: Azariah France-Williams.

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Mon 13 Feb 2012 00:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 11 Feb 2012 09:32GMT
  • Sat 11 Feb 2012 13:32GMT
  • Sun 12 Feb 2012 04:32GMT
  • Sun 12 Feb 2012 19:32GMT
  • Mon 13 Feb 2012 00:32GMT

Podcast