The Church of England, through the Archbishops' Council, is funding the Queen’s Foundation over three years to:

• Provide consultancy, support and encouragement for those developing programmes for Education for Discipleship to ensure that regions engage effectively with minority ethnic members and congregations.
• Provide pre-theological education and taster programmes of theological study.
• Provide consultancy and specialist resources for all training institutions to support and enhance their engagement with diversity.
• Provide opportunities during CME for minority ethnic ministers to develop their leadership ability.
• Develop a research capacity that resources the church for mission and ministry in multi-cultural settings, and which supports emerging minority ethnic scholars and future teachers.

Some background to the proposal

In 2005 the clergy diversity audit found that only 2.2% of all Church of England clergy (excluding retired stipendiary clergy) were from minority ethnic backgrounds. In contrast to this, a national enquiry found that 3.2% of Church of England electoral roll members (2002) were from minority ethnic backgrounds; also only 23% of Church of England clergy from minority ethnic backgrounds were born in the UK. 

The Report Called to Act Justly (2003) included recommendations that renewed effort be invested in enhancing the participation of minority ethnic people within all aspects of the life of the Church and recent reports – Faithful Cities (2006) and Presence and Engagement(2005) show that work in urban and multi-faith contexts has significant multi-ethnic dimensions which are not always recognized. The report Present and Participating called for a greater use of the gifts of minority ethnic people in the life of the Church at all levels and an increase in the number of ethnic minority young people in leadership.  Specific and focused approaches and resources are required to counter the discrimination that exists in church and society, and to overcome the obstacles that currently prevent minority ethnic members from full realisation of their gifts and participation in theological education and training.

The Archbishops' Council, therefore, recognising our debt to minority ethnic members, congregations and ministers, and by way of addressing the obstacles that are still powerfully present in church and society:

• ffirms the work that is being done to foster vocations among minority ethnic members, and celebrate the ministries of lay and ordained leaders, and the vibrant life, mission and ministry of many black majority congregations in the Church of England.
• Resolves to ensure that the vocations, gifts and potential of minority ethnic members of the church should be developed as a matter of justice and for the healing of the Body of Christ

To those ends funding is made available for:

• a full-time member of staff who will have lead responsibility for widening access to theological education and training for discipleship and vocational development for minority ethnic members for the church’s mission and ministry.
• A half time member of staff with responsibility for  the provision of professional development and continued ministerial education for minority ethnic ministers, lay and ordained.  In particular for specific programmes for leadership development for minority ethnic ministers.
• Two research scholarships (Simon of Cyrene scholars) for part-time doctoral level research to support emerging minority ethnic scholars and future teachers.