Black Clergy Discontent: Selective Interviews on Racialised Exclusion

This article offers an interpretation of a set of findings from a sample of Black clergy who, through the process of selective interviews, communicated their experiences in the Church of England. They said that the Church was maintaining a presence for Christian witness in the cities and urban areas of deprivation in a way which was perceived by these communities as relevant. The majority of clergy felt that it was important to provide Black worshippers with appropriate Black role models who are in positions of leadership and they reaffirmed the importance of becoming the voice of the voiceless and the need to get alongside the poor. However, they also felt that the Church of England's hierarchy was not sufficiently aware of the needs of Black people. Given the experience of the Black clergy who participated in this research, the question has be asked why it is that none of them are in senior positions. This set of clergy felt totally demoralised, as opportunities had been denied to them as agents of change; also, there was little likelihood of the next generation of clergy faring any better. Clearly, Black clergy perceived the Church of England as a gentlemen's club and thought that its membership was unlikely to be widened to include them. Englishness here connotes something that is cold and unwelcoming. Thus, a claimed feature of Englishness, namely reserve, is also experienced as exclusion.