Labour MP Marsha De Cordova, speaking in her capacity as Second Church Estates Commissioner for the Church of England, has said the Church fully intends to proceed with the controversial Project Spire.
The Project will see £100 million put towards communities allegedly impacted by the transatlantic slave trade. The leadership of the Church has defended the move as an act of repentance and restitution for its alleged connections to the slave trade.
The claim that the Church of England benefited at all from the slave trade has been questioned. Critics have also said the plan signifies a theological shift that now accepts the concept of inherited sin and further state that the project prioritises the suffering of some groups more than others.
Another common criticism is that the £100 million would be better spent on struggling parishes up and down the country. This was put to De Cordova by Conservative MP Blake Stephenson, who suggested the money could be better spent “bringing hope and belonging to future generations and saving our historic churches”.
De Cordova defended Project Spire, saying, “It is my sincere hope that Project Spire delivers exactly what the hon. Member points to: a sense of belonging in the Church for future generations. I also highlight the words shared by the Archbishop of Canterbury in her historic visit to the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, which I too have visited.”
Aside from the moral and theological questions raised by reparations, this particular case is also subject to legal challenge.
Critics have suggested that the Church Commissioners are, under charity regulations, not permitted to use charitable funds for a cause other than that for which they were donated. It has previously been suggested that the Church Commissioners may get around this issue by setting up a separate entity specifically for Project Spire.
