Why focus on racial justice? 
Racial justice is at the heart of the working for justice theme of our vision to Make Jesus Known. Racial justice is the equal treatment of everyone, regardless of ethnicity or race. Scripture tells us that God does not distinguish between humanity based on race, skin colour or country of birth, but we live in a world broken by racism and discrimination, and the Church needs to reckon with its own legacy of racism.
In the 2020 report ‘From Lament to Action’, the Church of England recognised that its ‘good intentions’ towards being a church where people of diverse backgrounds could feel at home had never been properly resourced or followed through in terms of policies or practical actions.
In response to this important report, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York established the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice to drive change within the Church and implement the recommendations of ‘From Lament to Action’. The Racial Justice Unit has been established to resource this work at all levels of the Church – within parishes, schools, deaneries, dioceses, cathedrals and Theological Education Institutions.
Fundamentally, the unit exists to try to help churches in England think through and implement an approach to ‘being church’ which allows everyone within our local church communities to contribute and belong, whether their family have lived in the area for generations, or for just a few weeks.
What is happening in this diocese?
In the Diocese of Salisbury, a small working group of people united with a passion for justice was formed in 2023 to progress the recommendations of the Lament to Action report and consider practical steps to encourage parishes to consider what racial justice means in their context, as well as looking at HR and the recruitment of a more diverse clergy and lay team.
This working group is chaired by Rebecca Paveley, Director of Communications and Engagement: rebecca.paveley@salisbury.anglican.org
The working group secured funding for Bishop's Council members and staff on racial justice, which happened in January 2025. We hosted a conference in May 2025 in partnership with Gypsy Roma Friendly Church on the Church and the Gypsy Roma Traveller Community. You can read more about this below. The Diocese employs a part-time chaplain to the Gypsy Roma Traveller Community, Jonathan Herbert, who supports members of the community who live in this diocese. You can email Jonathan to find out more about his work.
The Justice Network was established in 2023 to support people in parishes passionate about justice and committed to continued learning in this area. Email Katharine if you'd like to find more or join this supportive network.
In September 2025, two webinars exploring perspectives on the war in Gaza, organised by the diocesan justice network Seeing Differently, included reflections from Christian and Jewish leaders in the UK and in Israel and Palestine. You can read a full summary of the webinars here.
Racial Justice Sunday
Racial Justice Sunday 2026 will be on 8 February. Churches are encouraged to reflect and teach on racial justice on this day, but can use the resources all year round. Here are some resources are available to support parishes:
Liturgical Resources for Racial Justice Sunday
Black History Month
Each October celebrates Black History Month, a time for celebrating, sharing and remembering the importance of the impact of black heritage and culture.
The Church of England says, "The Church has immense formative power within the wider community, and such power begins in our worship of God. Racism is at root an issue of power, the limiting of the capacity of certain people and groups to act whilst privileging and promoting the capacity of others, solely on the grounds of racial characterisation. Our worship and the life of the Church are not free from these dynamics."
We'd love to share what is happening in churches in the Diocese of Salisbury - do get in touch with us: comms@salisbury.anglican.org. Small grants are available from the national church to help put on commemorations for Black History Month. Contact the Sharon Prentis: sharon.prentis@churchofengland.org Racial Justice unit to find out more.
Diocesan prayer for Black History Month 2025
