Sussex Churches Mark Racial Justice Sunday with Hope, Reflection, and Action
Churches across Sussex joined Christians around the UK on Sunday to mark Racial Justice Sunday — a day for prayer, reflection, and renewed commitment to the gospel call to “love your neighbour.”
At Chichester Cathedral, the Diocese’s Racial Justice Co‑ordinator, Vitalis Ngwambi, preached a powerful sermon reminding worshippers that Christ’s command to love is not passive but deeply practical.
“Loving our neighbour means standing up for the one who suffers abuse, welcoming those seeking safer shores, and resisting the temptation to blame others for the world’s problems,” he said. “Sometimes,” he added with a smile, “the problem isn’t our neighbour — it’s the window we’re looking through.”
The service drew worshippers from across the diocese. One attendee, Dr HildaRuth Beaumont from St Andrew’s, Kemptown, wrote afterwards: “You made all the necessary points clearly, calmly and forthrightly, leaving us in no doubt where our Christian duty lies. Thank you.”
Elsewhere, parishes celebrated the day in creative and community‑building ways. Key services were held at St Paul’s Chichester, St John the Baptist church Westfield and at St Luke’s Prestonville, Brighton, where the Revd Martin Poole led a family service featuring a “many nations” flag activity with children, a multicultural shared lunch reflecting Nigerian, Caribbean and British heritage, and talks about the history of slavery and modern anti‑slavery projects. Members of the diocesan and Arundel & Brighton ecumenical Anti‑Modern Slavery Ambassadors team joined the event, and Professor Alan Lester from the University of Sussex spoke about the national Spire reparative justice project.
These gatherings form part of the Diocese of Chichester’s ongoing commitment to equality, inclusion, and reconciliation. That journey continues next month with the launch of the new Diocesan Racial Justice Toolkit, which promises to be both reflective and practical.
Racial Justice Toolkit Launch Event
- Date: Sunday 1 March, 3.00–6.00 pm
- Venue: St John the Evangelist, Knoyle Road, Brighton BN1 6RB
- With: Bishop Will Hazlewood, Revd Emma Ham‑Riche, Vitalis Ngwambi, Professor Alan Lester, and others
- Features: reflections, music, shared storytelling, and hospitality celebrating food from different traditions.
- Register: trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/103434
As Vitalis concluded in his sermon, “Let our faith be visible not only in what we believe, but in how we live, speak, and stand with one another.”
Photo from St Luke's Prestonville Brighton.