Survey Reveals Ethnic Minorities Under-Represented in Church of England

Ethnic minorities are under-represented among clergy in the Church of England, a survey has revealed this week. Just 2.2 percent of clergy were from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared with 7.9 percent of the working population, according to the 2001 census, and 3.2 percent of the electoral roll members in 2002.

|TOP|However, despite the survey results, efforts to attract more people from ethnic minority backgrounds to train for priesthood and other vocations have been successful.

Out of all those recommended for training in 2005, ethnic minority candidates made up approximately 4.7 percent, and amounted to the highest amount of candidates this decade, at 578.

In addition, 27 of those recommended for ordination training in 2005 were from ethnic minority backgrounds, which was an increase from just 8 in 2003, and 17 in 2004.

The Clergy Diversity Audit, which was issued to the General Synod yesterday, looks to provide an important base line for the Church nationally and dioceses individually to assess the progress they are making in developing ethnic diversity among the clergy of the Church.

The audit found that proportionately fewer people of Black and Black British backgrounds among the clergy than among the population or on Church electoral rolls.

It showed that, while Black and Black British people account for 2.3 percent of both the population and the electoral rolls, they account for just 0.9 percent of its clergy.

|AD|The audit also revealed that other ethnic groupings, as used in the government census, are more comparable.

Chinese/other ethnic groups account for 0.9 percent of the population and for 0.2 percent of both the electoral roll and the clergy. Those of Dual Heritage, the term preferred to ‘Mixed’ as used in the government census, make up 1.3 percent of the population and a significantly higher proportion of the clergy, 0.7 percent, than the electoral roll, 0.4 percent. Those of Asian/Asian British background make up 4.6 percent of the population but 0.3 percent of the electoral roll and 0.4 percent of the clergy.

The Church of England Ministry Division explains that figures for the clergy come from a survey in 2005 to which 86 percent of 12,328 clergy (not including retired clergy) responded. Electoral roll figures are taken from a survey in 2002 to which 43 percent of 1,210,000 members replied.

The London region has the highest proportion of Church of England worshippers from an ethnic minority background, with 18.6 percent in London Diocese, compared with 31.8 percent of the population, and 18.2 percent in Southwark Diocese, compared with 24.7 percent of the population.

These dioceses, along with Chelmsford Diocese, have the highest proportions of clergy from a minority ethnic background at 5.9, 6.8 and 6.1 percent respectively.

Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, who chairs the Archbishops Council’s Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) said, “If mission and evangelism is going to be at the heart of the church’s ministry then the church must take seriously the need to value and equip all its membership both lay and ordained, black and white, old and young for this ministry. It is interesting to note that minority ethnic clergy were generally younger than their white counterparts, bearing in mind the view that younger clergy brought more energy and vitality to the life of the church.”

The Ministry Division of the Archbishops’ Council and the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) have reported how they have been encouraging minority ethnic vocations:

• In 2004, a consultation was set up in Birmingham to persuade clergy to “talent spot” minority ethnic individuals in their congregations who might be encouraged to consider a vocation and persuade them to attend a weekend vocations conference.

• More than 30 people attended the conference in February 2005 and six of them have since been recommended for ordination training.

• Southwark Diocese has been taking “road shows” to churches with large numbers of minority ethnic worshippers.

• In February this year, following a consultation in the Stepney Episcopal area of London, more than 30 people – mostly of African and Caribbean background from greater London – attended a heavily oversubscribed vocations conference.

Further consultations and conferences are planned in other parts of the country and also a scheme for minority ethnic people to explore their vocations on a six-month placement in a parish.

The full text of the audit report is available at: www.cofe.anglican.org/info/cmeac