The Bishop of Norwich has defended the Church of England’s deeply controversial plans for a £100m slavery reparation fund despite mounting criticism of the initiative.
Rt Rev Graham Usher spoke out in favour of the project in the face of growing opposition from critics who believe the scheme is misguided and the money should be used to support struggling parishes and maintain crumbling church buildings.
He insisted the Church of England had a "moral imperative" to address its historic connections to the transatlantic slave trade by creating the investment fund which could support social and environmental projects set up by descendants of slaves.
The scheme - called Project Spire - was set up in 2023 after a report found a fund established by Queen Anne in 1704 to support poor Anglican clergy had invested in African slavery.
The project - which has already cost £1.15m in research, consultancy and legal fees - has been welcomed as a belated acknowledgement of the Church’s involvement in slavery but criticised for pledging £100m at a time of financial turmoil, especially for local parishes.
Opponents say there is a lack of evidence for the reparation claims and it fails to take into account the Church’s role in efforts to end slavery.
It is now facing a legal challenge which had thrown it into doubt.
But Bishop Graham led a defence of the scheme at a meeting of the church's ruling General Synod, which convened in York, and insisted it was pushing ahead with it.
He said: “We continue to be outraged by our historic links to African chattel enslavement and our part in the responsibility for the enduring legacies of this abhorrent past that continue to affect the lives of people today.”
The Bishop added that controversy relating to the initiative had seen "the most vile abuse and correspondence" directed at those involved in it and claimed there was “a lot of misinformation out there”.
To manage the funds, the Church Commissioners must apply to the Charity Commission for approval.
Bishop Usher revealed that the Church had planned to apply to register the change, but said it was unable to do so because of legal challenges.
The details have not been revealed, but critics say committing the money would go beyond the commissioners' role as a charity intended to support parishes and clergy.
The Bishop said: “We have, however, not totally unexpectedly, received a legal challenge in relation to this work.
“This must be respected, considered in a disciplined manner, and factored into our planned timetable for progress.
"We take this seriously and, as responsible custodians, we are taking appropriate advice to determine our next steps.”
WHAT IS THE FUND FOR?
Project Spire was first announced in 2023 in response to findings that the Church’s endowment fund, Queen Anne’s Bounty, invested in the South Sea Company, which was instrumental in the slavery.
Formed by the British government in 1711, its main activity was participating in the transatlantic slave trade, which saw 34,000 people transported before Parliament passed the 1807 Slave Trade Act ending Britain's involvement.
The Church Commissioners have apologised for the historic link, saying they were "deeply sorry".
They added: "The Church Commissioners, as a 320-year-old Christian in-perpetuity endowment fund, has committed £100m to set up a new investment fund to support healing, justice and repair, in response to the discovery of its historic links with transatlantic African chattel enslavement.
"This is consistent with the Church of England’s fourth mark of mission, to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation."
WHAT DO CRITICS SAY?
The plan has been challenged by a group of 27 MPs and peers, who have called on the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally to halt the fund.
They argue funds should be used solely to support parish ministry, maintain church buildings, and preserve the historical records.
The group includes shadow Home Office minister Katie Lam and included senior Conservatives Chris Philp, Claire Coutinho, and Neil O’Brien.
In their letter to the Archbishop, they wrote: "At a moment when churches across the country are struggling to keep their doors open - many even falling into disrepair - it’s wrong to try and justify diverting £100m to a project entirely separate from those core obligations."
MPs also questioned the evidence behind the Church’s claims regarding its links to slavery, arguing while it was complicit at the height of the trade, it later played a leading role in the the movement to abolish it.
Concerns have also been raised about the historical research into Queen Anne’s Bounty’s investments in the South Sea Company which led to the project.
Some have argued that the managers of the Bounty employed an investment strategy that avoided economic exposure to the slave trade, investing in government-backed debt rather than directly in the trading company.
The Church Commissioners have said that the £100m will come from its endowment fund and will not affect funds used to support grass roots parishes.
WHAT ABOUT SUPPORTERS?
Canon Andrew Dotchin from St Edmundsbury and Ipswich said "justice delayed was justice denied" and urged the Synod to support the commissioners in addressing the legacy of slavery with "humble penitence".
Other supporters have said the money is not enough. A report by an independent oversight group set a £1 billion target for the investment fund, saying £100m was "insufficient” to counter the "historic and enduring greed, cynicism and hate with penitence, hope and love".
It added: "The sum of £100m is very small compared to the scale of racial disadvantage originating in African enslavement."
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