The Church of England has raised eyebrows by advertising a “Head of Racial Justice Priority” position in the Diocese of London, boasting a salary of £66,646 – more than double the £31,644 stipend for parish priests. The Telegraph has the story.
Positions responsible for “racial justice” have been rolled out in a number of Church of England dioceses in recent years as part of diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives.
The salary for the role in London appears to be the highest offered so far.
The Rev. Marcus Walker, the rector of St. Bartholomew the Great in the City of London, told the Telegraph that the annual contributions requested from parishes by the diocese – which can top six-figures – should not be spent on such high salaries.
“Dioceses can’t wave deficit-riddled accounts at parishes, demanding over £100,000 in parish share, and then pull this kind of salary out of nowhere,” he said.
A Church of England report in 2023 estimated that the total value of what vicars are given by the Church – including their vicarages, council tax bills and expenses – is between £47,000 and £62,000.
In the advertisement for the position, the Rt. Rev. Anderson Jeremiah, the Bishop of Edmonton, said the Church of England’s resources had to be used for “tangible action” so that it would become “more racially just”. …
Employing individuals in racial justice positions has ramped up in the Church of England following the establishment of the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice after the death of George Floyd in May 2020. …
The Rt. Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Bishop of Dover, told the General Synod in February that Anglicans needed to “further embed racial justice” in the Church.
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