News

CCRJ finds new focus on anti-racism projects

June 26 , 2006

The Churches’ Commission for Racial Justice (CCRJ) takes on a new look this month with an emphasis on funding racial justice work in communities.

CCRJ is a commission of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) which has been reshaped to work more closely with the Churches Together bodies in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England. British and Irish Churches, including those of Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Reformed and Pentecostal traditions, have renewed their commitment to work, think and pray together, while facing the reality of diminishing resources to fund the ecumenical work they wish to continue.

The Churches’ Commission for Racial Justice (CCRJ) is well known for its anti-racism work and was responsible for Asylum Voices, documenting the experiences of asylum seekers and published in 2003. Each year CCRJ produces a pack of resources for Racial Justice Sunday to guide churches to pray for an end to misunderstanding, racism and injustice. Thousands of churches and schools across the country join in the annual focus, always held on the second Sunday in September.

Racial Justice Sunday provides an opportunity for churches to raise money for the Racial Justice Fund. The innovative projects supported by the Racial Justice Fund will now be central to CCRJ’s work and from that will flow other actions of solidarity, campaigning and education. Recently renamed and re-launched in the House of Lords, for thirty years this Fund has provided grant support to organizations and projects working to combat racism, and to empower black and minority ethnic communities throughout Britain and Ireland. 

New staff have been appointed to carry forward the work. They are Andy Bruce (Manager) and the Revd Claudette Douglas (Research and Development Officer). Andy Bruce brings to the post experience both as a Baptist minister in leading and developing multicultural church and community life and as moderator of the Baptist Union Working Party on Racial Justice.  Claudette Douglas, who was ordained by the World Council of Churches and the All-Africa Council of Churches at United Theological College in London, is a non-denominational minister, an actress and a theatre educationalist.

Referring to the way the Racial Justice Fund is being re-shaped to make the work of racial justice more effective in local communities, Claudette Douglas said: ’Through an innovative process of engagement the Racial Justice Fund is now able to effectively target small organizations who have usually been left out of the loop. For many small isolated projects, this Fund will act as a lifeline that brings with it a network of resources and developmental support that will enable the projects to more effectively meet the needs they were set up to address.’

The new staff will build on the achievements of the Revd Arlington Trotman, Most Senior Apostle James Ozigi and Richard Solly who have left CCRJ. ‘All of them long-serving and much respected members of staff, whose energy and expertise will be sorely missed,’ reflected Andy Bruce. ‘The calling to take a prophetic stand for justice and work for transformed human relationships is central to Christian faith and the task for the Churches’ Commission for Racial Justice is just as urgent now as it was in previous generations.’