Black and minority ethnic Anglicans in the Diocese of Southwark were encouraged at the weekend to take greater responsibility at a major annual conference to assess the status and development of black and minority ethnic Anglicans in the diocese.

|PIC1|The call went out from leading speakers at the Southwark Diocese Black and Minority Ethnic Forum's Twelfth Annual Conference for black and minority ethnic Anglicans in the diocese to get involved in any way possible with Parochial Church Councils, education boards and local councils, to represent their interests.

The conference was held at St Mark's Church, Kennington, London, under the theme of 'Present and participating in the Church of England'.

Key speaker at the event was the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, who chairs the national Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns and is a member of the General Synod.

She challenged delegates at the conference to be accepting of their God-given gifts and be confident to use them. Rev Hudson-Wilkin also said that black and minority ethnic Anglicans in the diocese needed to be willing to try new things and to participate with people "different from us".

She told Christian Today: "We need people not just to sit passively but to actively engage with what's happening in the church on Sunday."

Rev Hudson-Wilkin challenged delegates to "act as the body of Christ, recognising themselves as part of that body," adding that black and minority ethnic members of the Church of England also needed to take responsibility.

Other speakers present included Executive Officer of Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns in the Diocese of Southwark, Delbert Sandiford; the co-founder and Director of Operation Black Vote, Simon Woolley; Southwark Diocesan Secretary, Simon Parton; Southwark Diocesan Youth Adviser, Dean Pusey; Vasantha Gnanadoss, who sits on the Bishop's Council, is a former member the Diocesan Minority Ethnic Concerns Committee, and is also a member of General Synod.

A number of common challenges facing black and minority ethnic Anglicans emerged through the various workshops, which included one on 'Taking Responsibility'.

Participants in the workshop admitted that black and minority ethnic groups did not always possess the confidence to take responsibility and stand up within the Church.

Sandiford, who led the workshop, also said that black people were not on enough councils and boards, both civil and Church.

On a positive note, he said that the climate had been changing in Britain, citing the police as just one institution that has been begging black people to join.

He warned, however, "The climate is changing and sometimes we don't recognise this.

"Opportunities are opening up here and we need to get in on some of those opportunities as well."

Meanwhile, Woolley, said delegates "must re-energise and remobilise our communities".

"Be strong, be bold, be involved," he told them.

The Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler, joined in the workshop on Young People in the diocese, where delegates identified a serious lack of commitment to teaching and shepherding following Confirmation - particularly for the 11 to 14 year age group.

Bishop Butler told Christian Today: "We do waste a lot of the good work we do with young people by not focussing on the needs of teenagers.

"I want to encourage parishes to give serious thoughts to how they can hold young teenagers together in ways that are relevant to their needs."