Diocese appoints first ever Racial Justice Coordinator
The Diocese of Chichester is delighted to welcome Vitalis Ngwambi as its first-ever Racial Justice Coordinator, a new role funded by the national church and created to help the diocese deepen its commitment to racial justice, inclusion, and the celebration of diversity across its churches and schools.
Working alongside clergy, lay leaders, parishes, and schools, Vitalis will help put the Diocesan Racial Justice Strategy into action, offering training, supporting community partnerships, and encouraging conversations that build understanding and equality. His role will also focus on strengthening relationships with local communities and developing opportunities for collaboration with other churches and faith groups across Sussex.
Bishop Will, who leads on racial justice for the diocese, recorded a video to welcome Vitalis (you can listen to it here) and he said: “I am absolutely delighted to be welcoming Vitalis as our new Racial Justice Coordinator, a role that will help us to reflect on the image that each of us bears: the image of Christ. It will enable us to proclaim with confidence that all are made in that image, and of infinite worth in God’s eyes.”
Vitalis brings wide experience in both research and community leadership. He previously worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, where he supported projects on racial justice and inequality, co-authored academic reports, and ran workshops on racial equality.
Before moving to the UK, he served as Head of the Justice and Peace Commission at St John’s Catholic Church in Bamenda, Cameroon, where he led parish-based initiatives promoting peacebuilding, human rights, and racial and ethnic justice among both Francophone and Anglophone communities.
Reflecting on his new role, Vitalis said: "I am deeply honoured to begin my journey as the Racial Justice Coordinator for the Diocese of Chichester. This is a sacred calling, and I ask the Lord to grant me wisdom, discernment, and strength as I seek to carry out the mission entrusted to me.
"My work is rooted in justice, compassion, and the conviction that every person is made in the image of God and deserves dignity, respect, and opportunity.
"I will work to ensure that governance within our Diocese is participatory and representative by advocating for inclusive education that celebrates the diverse stories and contributions of all people. I will also focus on training and mentoring UKME individuals, empowering them to lead, thrive, and shape the future of our Church and society.
"I invite everyone to stand with me in our collective journey to be active agents of change in the pursuit of racial justice.
"As Archbishop Desmond Tutu wisely said, ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.’ Let us choose justice. Let us choose love. Let us choose action."
Vitalis’s appointment marks a significant step forward in the Diocese of Chichester’s journey toward becoming a more inclusive and representative church, one that actively listens, learns, and leads in addressing racial injustice across all areas of diocesan life.