CLERGY in the diocese of London who report having experienced racial trauma in their work are being offered one-to-one therapeutic support.

The diocese launched the trial support system, Healing Together, on Thursday, to coincide with both World Mental Health Day and Black History Month.

The pilot is being funded by the Racial Justice Unit of the Church of England and delivered by Inchange: a group of facilitators and consultants specialising in social justice and therapeutic healing.

The diocese’s GMH/UKME clergy (of global-majority heritage/UK minority-ethnic) can apply for one-to-one trauma-informed coaching for up to six sessions. These would explore experiences of racism and discrimination, survival responses, and patterns around trust, conflict, and change.

This type of support was recommended by Dr Selina Stone, tutor in social and political theology for St Mellitus College, in her 2022 report If It Wasn’t for God (News, 21 October 2022). Her study found that the Church of England remained a hostile and unsafe place for many non-white clergy.

The Area Bishop of Edmonton, Dr Anderson Jeremiah, said on Thursday that — as the lead bishop for racial justice in the diocese of London, “one of the most diverse dioceses in the country” — he had heard “on a too-frequent basis of times when clergy have been failed or subject to harm because of the colour of their skin.

“This trial is a landmark first step forward for the diocese, and I pray that clergy within London and beyond who have been affected by racism can find support, healing, and the continued strength to fight for change.”