The Venerable Danny Kajumba, Archdeacon of Reigate, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Archbishops’ Council’s Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) as successor to the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin.

CMEAC works to encourage and engage participation from the Church’s Minority Ethnic populations at every level. Directly responsible to the Archbishops’ Council, the committee co-ordinates two working groups to address key issues for minority ethnic Anglicans: vocations and youth.

In accepting the appointment, the Archdeacon says: “I am pleased to be asked to serve the Church in this way and to follow in the footsteps of Bishop Wilfred Wood, Archbishop John Sentamu and the Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin. I accept this responsibility with humility and in safe knowledge that God will direct me in this ministry. My intention is to build on what has been achieved so far as we seek to discern God’s will for the Church in the coming new quinquennium of the General Synod”.

The Archdeacon, who is also a member of the Southwark MEAC, has served on CMEAC for more than five years. He has been Vice Chair since 2005 and Acting Chair since June 2009. Danny was closely involved in planning the Walk of Witness through South London as part of the Church of England’s contribution to the bicentenary in 2007 of the Act for the abolition of slavery in the UK.

He brings a breadth of experience from a range of sectors, having served as a cabinet minister and as CEO of a multinational corporation in Uganda and managing his own businesses for 29 years in England before and after training for ordination in the Church of England. He has served as Archdeacon of Reigate since 2000.

The Archdeacon is a great believer in partnership, stressing: “I would like to refer to that well used phrase ‘no man is an island, each is part of the whole’. We all need each other and it is my belief that we need to make partnership working within the Church of England structures a priority for the next few years, to enable CMEAC to continue to influence the wider Church in making crucial changes that reflect true diversity. Making mission the starting point for CMEAC’s work will present a challenge to the Church to be serious in actively engaging minority ethnic people in every aspect of church life.

“I want to see the minority ethnic communities within our congregations continue to move from mere presence to active participation. I particularly want to encourage younger members to play their full part, without reservation or hindrance, in the witness and mission of the Church for which Christ gave His life.”