The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, and the Church Commissioners have defended plans to commit £100 million towards slavery reparations.
Late last year the plan was criticised by a group of Conservative peers and MPs who argued that the Church Commissioners fund is intended to support local parishes in the Church of England.
In an open letter, organised by Conservative MP Katie Lam, critics of the plan argued that it may fall foul of Charity Commission rules that require charitable funds to be used for the purpose for which they were donated.
"At a moment when churches across the country are struggling to keep their doors open — many even falling into disrepair — it’s wrong to try and justify diverting £100 million to a project entirely separate from those core obligations," they argued.
In her response, Mullally said that “the Church of England’s historic links to African chattel enslavement are a serious matter”, adding that the work of the Church Commissioners “is rooted in the Christian call to repentance, reconciliation and, above all, hope”.
She argued that support for parish ministry was not being diminished due to the reparations plan. As evidence she pointed to rising levels of financial support for parishes, including “a record £1.6 billion being allocated over the next three years”.
In their response, the Church Commissioners made similar points: “You [Lam and her supporters] expressed concern about the diversion of funds from the ministry of the Church of England.
"On the contrary, our investment approach has significantly augmented the funds available to the mission and ministry of the Church of England.
“The £100 million commitment to a new in-perpetuity fund is consistent with the Church of England’s Fourth Mark of Mission: ‘To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation’.”
Lam said on X that the response was “disappointing”.
She added, “The £100m that the church plans to spend on slavery reparations is for local parishes. It must be spent on that, not on a divisive vanity project.”
