Church of England will order 30% quota for BAME candidates on its leadership programme

The Church of England is set to introduce a 30 per cent quota for ethnic minority candidates on its leadership programme and carry out anti-racism training, it emerged last night.

Officials are also planning to provide information giving context to church statues which may have caused ‘pain or offence’ as part of plans to tackle discrimination.

Only one of the 42 diocesan bishops come from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

The Church of England is set to introduce a 30 per cent quota for ethnic minority clergy members and carry out anti- racism training. Pictured: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby

A taskforce was set up last year by the Church after Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said he was ‘sorry and ashamed’ that ‘we are still institutionally racist’. 

In a leaked report seen by The Spectator magazine, the taskforce recommends the institution introduces a 30 per cent quota for BAME candidates on its leadership programme and calls on the Church to ‘deal with’ controversial statues and monuments.

The ‘Lament to Action’ report also calls for an overhaul of education within CofE schools as well as plans to ‘deal with’ controversial statues and monuments.

The reforms will be funded and overseen by the creation of a ‘Racial Justice Unite’ for a five-year fixed-term basis.

The report is due before the Archbishops’ Council next week, with a final version published on April 22.

• An earlier version of this article said that the Church of England is set to introduce a 30 per cent quota for BAME clergy. In fact, the 30 per cent quota is for BAME candidates on its leadership programme.