- Thursday, April 18, 2024
By: Sattwik Biswal
IN order to improve diversity and to have a say on future of Church of England bishops should be approved from black and minority groups, it has been recommended.
The reforms will give a black or ethnic minority churchgoer a veto over appointments to senior posts.
The move to bring in a change, was influenced by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
Last year, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had compared the CofE’s attitude to ethnic minorities with that of Nazi-era German churches to Jews.
Moreover, reforms to the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), which picks bishops, have been recommended in a report compiled over three years by senior Church figures.
The plans will go before a meeting of the Church’s parliament, the General Synod, this month.
The authors who have worked on the report have stressed on the importance of the BLM movement, which “provides a particular context to the conclusion…and brings into sharp focus the issues of diversity highlighted throughout our report”.
Out of the 38 proposals, one says a a minority representative should join the commission as a non-voting member whenever a new diocesan bishop has to be chosen.
The report also said the commission should also be able to pick representatives from other minorities.
