THE Archbishops of Canterbury and York have announced 11 members of their Racial Justice Commission. They join the Commission’s chair, Lord Boateng, who was appointed in July (News, 16 July).

The members of the Commission are:

Lord Boateng, a former Cabinet Minister and High Commissioner to South Africa (Chair);
Professor Anthony Reddie, Department of Theology, University of Oxford;
Canon Chigor Chike, Chair of the Anglican Minority Ethnic Network (AMEN);
Professor Duncan Morrow, Department of Politics, Ulster University
Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive, Ofcom
Professor Mike Higton, Department of Theology, Durham University
Lord Wei of Shoreditch, serial social Entrepreneur and social reformer
Dr Nirmala Pillay, School of Law, Leeds Becket University
Canon Patricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons
The Revd Dr Philip Anderson, Canon Precentor, Liverpool Cathedral
The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover
The Revd Sonia Barron, diocesan director of vocations, diocese of Lincoln.

The Commission, which will last for three years, will hold its first formal meeting this month. It will report to the Archbishops every six months with recommendations on how to identify, respond to, and root out systemic racism in the Church.

The Commission was announced by the Archbishops after the publication of the report by the Archbishops’ Anti-racism Taskforce, From Lament to Action (News, 23 April).

During a presentation to the General Synod on the work of the Commission, in July, Archbishop Cottrell, said: “The Commission will be an independent body that is representative of complex interests and expertise within and beyond the Church. . .

“While the Commission’s deliberations are formed independently, it has been appointed in full consultation and with the support of the House of Bishops and the Archbishops’ Council, by whose authority and mandate they will function.”

The Archbishops said in a joint statement on Thursday: “We are delighted that these twelve Commission members have agreed to join the Racial Justice Commission. They represent complex interests and expertise, within and beyond the church, bringing a rich experience that will inform and meet the needs of the task that lies ahead. We pray for a transformation in our Church that will bring hope to the world. We look forward to their reports and pray for their work.”

Lord Boateng said: “These exceptional individuals bring wisdom and a passion for justice rooted in God’s love to the work of the Commission. Each, along with breadth and depth of experience in their respective fields, has a proven track record of bringing about transformative change. I feel privileged to work with them and am grateful for the prayers and encouragement the Commission has received from so many in the Church as we set about our work.”