Dear Friends

In past letters I have often been critical of various goings-on within the Church of England, so it gives me great pleasure to applaud the appointment of Dr John Sentamu as Archbishop of York. By deciding upon him I think that the powers-that-be, both ecclesiastical and governmental, have made a wise choice. He has cut his teeth as a bishop in the East End of London and currently as Bishop of Birmingham and has done both with success. Along with many others I am delighted that he is to become the No.2 in the Anglican hierarchy because he has the right qualities for the job. My delight has nothing to do with the fact that he is black.

Some time ago I was present at a Synod meeting where a black woman minister accused the Church of England of being “institutionally racist”. Her evidence for this claim was that there were very few people from ethnic minorities in senior ecclesiastical posts. Numerically she was correct. By the same token it may be observed that there are very few prelates with ginger hair and freckles, none more than seven feet tall, and hardly any with a record of anti-social behaviour apart from the occasional acquisition of a parking ticket. Does this mean that the Church is institutionally discriminatory towards lanky ginger people who have a less-than-perfect past ? Nothing could be more ridiculous.

The relative under-representation of ethnic minorities generally in the church results partly from the fact that they are a minority, at least, in England. Second, not all clergy can become bishops, deans or whatever because there are not enough vacancies. In addition, there are many clergy who see it is their calling to serve as parish priests without grandiose ambitions. It may also be the case that the best people for these jobs are not from ethnic minorities. It is a simple fact of life that those who consider themselves suited for advancement may not find that such self-appraisal is the view of those around them. After