Diocese of Chichester

The Bishop of Lewes, Rt.Revd Will Hazlewood and the Church of England's Racial Justice Director, Revd Guy Hewitt, join other voices from across the Diocese of Chichester to share their reflections for Racial Equality Week and Racial Justice Sunday. Three church services are being held this year in Brighton, Broadwater and Crawley.

Listen here

Revd Dr Godfrey Kesari is the Diocesan Racial Justice lead and Interfaith Adviser for the Diocese of Chichester and is also Vicar of Holy Innocents, Southwater.

Dr Kesari has been instrumental in planning the services, marking a significant milestone in the Diocese as it works towards addressing the 2021 Lament to Action Report and encouraging every individual to act against any kind of racism. People are also urged to pray and continue to promote love and respect for one another.

He said: “Since my appointment we have made some significant inroads in our areas of work by setting up a Racial Justice Committee and a strategy to underpin our work to raise awareness of racial injustices and to build understanding of the systemic nature of racism.

"We want to encourage others across the Diocese and to help them be resourced to do so.

“We have begun to develop programmes such as work with our Anglican and community schools, training for lay and clergy, for our vocations work to be more encouraging for ethnic minorities and to increase our clergy appointments in this area.

“We continue to signpost parish leaders and diocesan staff to suitable training which includes attendance over the next few months at Being White workshops in Chichester and an afternoon exploring racial justice at the planned Diocesan Clergy Conference next year.

“So as a Diocese we unite in prayer and action in the forthcoming Racial Justice Week to challenge race inequality across the UK and the rest of the world.

Bishop Hazlewood added: “Racial Justice Sunday gives us an opportunity to reflect on the brilliance of human diversity, and we thank God for it. We respond by aiming to work to end injustice, racism and ignorance, through our prayer and action.

“I encourage you to mark Racial Justice Sunday. To get involved with this week, running between the 4th and the 11th of February, where there'll be a number of special services. There are opportunities for us to come together as the body of Christ and rejoice together and work together on those themes of racial justice and racial awareness. “

The services are:

At Saint Peter's Brighton, 4th of February, Sunday 6:30 pm. Service led by Bishop and Rev, Dan Millest. Preacher is the Bishop of Lewes.

At Saint Mary’s Broadwater, 11 February, Sunday 10 am. Service led by the Bishop of Horsham and Rev Gaz Daly.

At St Barnabas Parish, Crawley. 11th of February, Sunday 6 pm. Service led by Rev, Sarah Upchurch. Preacher is Reverend, Dr Godfrey Kesari Diocesan Racial Justice Officer.