The West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative is committed to advancing racial justice by transforming church structures and communities across the region. Rooted in the teachings of Jesus and in partnership with six Midlands’ dioceses and the National Church, we work to dismantle systemic racism, ensuring that every individual, regardless of race or background, belongs, thrives, and experiences the love of God.
Guided by the From Lament to Action report, we aim to cultivate an inclusive Church where diversity is not only welcomed but celebrated.
The West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative exists to support the work of racial justice across six dioceses: Birmingham, Coventry, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield, and Worcester in the West Midlands.
Our vision is clear: we long to see racism eliminated from our culture, structures, and behaviours within the Church of England in the West Midlands Region, so that we reflect God’s truth into the world.
We work as a regional hub of engagement for dioceses, churches, schools, and local partners who want to grow in racial justice. Our role is to empower, enable, and encourage people to share responsibility for racial justice in their own contexts. This means listening carefully, building trust, supporting local action, and helping communities move from good intentions to faithful, practical change.
WMRJI supports diocesan partners through relationship-building, reflection, learning, and practical action. We recognise that each diocese has its own local realities, histories, opportunities, and challenges. For that reason, our approach is patient, flexible, and grounded in listening.
We prioritise depth over speed. We know that meaningful racial justice work takes trust, courage, honest conversation, and sustained commitment. Our role is to help create the conditions where that work can continue with clarity, care, and accountability.
As an outworking of the shared aspirations of the dioceses, the West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative helps support dioceses, churches, schools, cathedrals, chaplaincies, and communities across the region in the ongoing work of truth, repair, and transformation.
Our work also sits alongside the Church of England’s From Lament to Action report, which calls the Church to sustained change across five priorities: Participation, Education, Training and Mentoring, Young People, and Structures and Governance. These priorities help frame our regional commitment to racial justice as shared, practical, and accountable work across the life of the Church.
The West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative (WMRJI) is a pioneering initiative committed to advancing racial justice and equality across the West Midlands region. Operating within the framework of the Church of England, the WMRJU collaborates with six dioceses – Birmingham, Coventry, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield, and Worcester – to address and dismantle systemic racism within the Church and the wider community.
Our aim is to serve as a catalyst for transformative change, fostering inclusive and equitable environments that embrace people of all backgrounds. We are dedicated to promoting racial justice through education, advocacy, and collaboration, aligning with the Church of England’s broader initiatives to confront racism and promote equality.
The West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative emerged as a collaborative response to the Church of England’s call to tackle systemic racism within its structures. Six dioceses – Birmingham, Coventry, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield, and Worcester – joined forces, recognising that working together would amplify their efforts to bring about lasting, transformative change.
Supported by the Bishops of the dioceses, this partnership reflects a shared commitment to the biblical principle of equality in Christ and a dedication to making the Church a place of genuine inclusivity. This initiative is grounded in the recommendations from the Church’s From Lament to Action report and further informed by independent research conducted by Dr. Karamat Iqbal. His work highlighted existing challenges and successes across the dioceses, helping shape a tailored approach to racial justice.
The initiative focuses on fostering cultural, structural, and behavioural change, ensuring that lived experiences, particularly those from United Kingdom Minoritised Ethnic (UKME) / Global Majority Heritage (GMH) communities, guide and shape its activities. By pooling resources, expertise, and energy, the West Midlands dioceses aim to create a sustainable programme that addresses racism head-on, supports grassroots initiatives, and celebrates diverse spiritual expressions.
Through projects like the Microgrant Scheme and ongoing education, the initiative seeks to transform church spaces into truly welcoming and equitable environments for all.
