07/10/2021
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York today announced the names of the 11 Commission Members who have been appointed to the Racial justice Commission, joining Lord Boateng whose Chairmanship of the Commission was announced on 9 July 2021.
The Racial Justice Commission was appointed by the Archbishops in response to the Anti-racism Taskforce report, ‘From Lament to Action’, for a period of three years.
It follows a series of commitments by the Archbishops to take action to identify, respond to, and root out systemic racism in the Church of England.
The Commission is an independent body bringing together a range of experience and expertise within and beyond the church.
Members include specialists in areas such as Theology & Racial Justice; Ecclesiology & Liturgy; Formation & Theological Education and History & Politics.
Full membership:
1. Chair: The Rt Hon Lord Boateng, Former Cabinet Minister and High Commissioner to SA
2. Professor Anthony Reddie, Dept. of Theology, University of Oxford
3. The Revd Canon Dr Chigor Chike, Chair of Anglican Minority Ethnic Network (AMEN)
4. Professor Duncan Morrow, Dept. of Politics, Ulster University
5. Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive, Ofcom
6. Professor Mike Higton, Dept. of Theology, Durham University
7. Lord Wei of Shoreditch, Serial Social Entrepreneur and Social Reformer
8. Dr Nirmala Pillay, School of Law, Leeds Becket University
9. The Revd Canon Patricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons
10. The Revd Canon Dr Philip Anderson, Canon Precentor, Liverpool Cathedral
11. The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover
12. The Revd Sonia Barron, Diocesan Director of Vocations, Diocese of Lincoln
Read full biographies of the Commissioners here
Commenting on the appointment of the Commissioners, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York said:
“We are delighted that these twelve Commission members have agreed to join the Racial Justice Commission.
“They represent complex interests and expertise, within and beyond the church, bringing a rich experience that will inform and meet the needs of the task that lies ahead. We pray for a transformation in our Church that will bring hope to the world. We look forward to their reports and pray for their work.”
Lord Boateng said: “These exceptional individuals bring wisdom and a passion for justice rooted in God’s love to the work of the Commission.
“Each, along with breadth and depth of experience in their respective fields, has a proven track record of bringing about transformative change.
“I feel privileged to work with them and am grateful for the prayers and encouragement the Commission has received from so many in the Church as we set about our work.”
Notes
Read more about the Racial Justice Commission
Read full biographies of the Commissioners
The Commission will report to the Archbishops every six months during the three-year period, with recommendations to help the Archbishops fulfil their commitments to identify, respond to, and root out systemic racism in the Church.
The Commission will hold its first formal meeting in October 2021.