West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative

26/02/2026

You're invited to join ANIC's 3rd Anglican Intercultural Mission Conference, Saturday 21 March 2026, 9.30am - 4pm, St. John's Church in the City of Wolverhampton.

This important conference will explore the state of intercultural mission in the Church of England.

Register today on Eventbrite!

Join us live at the 3rd Anglican Intercultural Mission Conference: The Primer for faith, culture, and mission vibes!

24/02/2026

Our February WMRJI newsletter is out now, with news and updates on racial justice work across our partner dioceses.

West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative

Welcome to the February 2026 WMRJI newsletter. This month brings powerful stories of remembrance, courageous witness, and practical action for racial justice across our region.

12/02/2026

Missed our recent podcast with the Chair of the The Church of England - Birmingham Racial Justice Board? You can listen to it here:

Seasons of Justice Podcast explores how faith is translated into bold, practical action for racial justice. In this episode, host Kevin Thompson is joined by...

30/01/2026

In the run up to Racial Justice Sunday, we are pleased to share a list of sermon themes, along with prayer and liturgy points that you can use. Please visit our website under 'Resources and Publications' or use this link: https://birminghamanglican.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/IQA1T0p_iQsfSIHQQ3N9u-YMAVgnxYc4shqgT6WHYHRBptw?e=dg8CBT

27/01/2026

🕊 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 2026 | 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 🕊

Racial Justice Sunday takes place on 8 February, and our churches across the West Midlands are invited to mark the day through worship, prayer, action, or reflection.

This year’s theme from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is “Love Your Neighbour.” It calls us to resist narratives of fear and hostility, especially towards asylum seekers, refugees, and those made to feel they do not belong, and to embrace a biblical vision of unity where all are loved and valued as part of one human family in Christ.

📘 Explore and download the CTBI resources here:
👉 https://ctbi.org.uk/resources/racial-justice-sunday-8-february-2026

If you’re part of a Church of England church in the West Midlands, we’d love to hear how you’re engaging with Racial Justice Sunday. Please share your plans by completing this short 5-minute survey by 31 January:
👉 https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/2026RJSundays

📢 Deaneries — please circulate widely.

26/01/2026

📰 Our January newsletter is out now!
Read it here: https://sh1.sendinblue.com/adqt717gxxpfe.html?t=1769446161543

It includes updates from across the region, reflections, and opportunities to stay connected in the Church of England’s ongoing racial justice journey in the West Midlands.

Please read, share — and let us know what’s happening in your context: [email protected]

Welcome to the first WMRJI newsletter of 2026. As the new year begins, we’re spotlighting bold reflections, local action, and stories that speak to the heart of our shared calling: justice, repair, and joy. Inside, you’ll find updates from across the region, microgrants in motion, new leadership...

26/01/2026

𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 — 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹

Paul’s conversion begins not with certainty, but with a question: “Why are you persecuting me?” It’s a moment of interruption, truth-telling, and the start of a new path shaped by those he once overlooked.

This story echoes through our own work. At West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative, we walk alongside churches across the region as they respond to God’s call to justice — confronting inequality, widening belonging, and embedding equity into the Church’s life and leadership.

In the West Midlands, churches are responding to that same call — building spaces of belonging, listening deeply to those historically excluded, and reimagining leadership through the lens of racial justice. We give thanks for this courageous, hopeful work.

Conversion isn’t a one-time event. It’s the faithful, ongoing turning toward justice, repair, and the full dignity of all.

22/01/2026

We are pleased to welcome Jennie Johnson as the new Director of the West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative.

For more information, please read our full press release:
🔗 https://wmracialjustice.org.uk/press-release-jennie-johnson-appointed-as-the-director-of-west-midlands-racial-justice-initiative/

13/01/2026

📣 Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2026 – Applications Now Open!

Are you part of a community group, charity, CIC or local authority working in England? You can now apply for funding to deliver projects that commemorate, celebrate and educate about the Windrush Generation and their descendants. The scheme is designed to bring communities together, celebrate shared heritage, and amplify voices often overlooked.

Grants of £5,000 to £25,000 are available to support creative activities and events that:
• Raise awareness of the Windrush story and history
• Foster pride in contributions made by Windrush communities
• Inspire young people and support inclusive engagement across diverse groups
• Include a key event on National Windrush Day (22 June 2026) with wider activity before 31 July 2026.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm on 10 February 2026 via the Near Neighbours website.

👉 Visit the application page to apply or find out more:
https://www.near-neighbours.org.uk/windrush26-home

Let’s honour the legacy of the Windrush Generation and build connections that strengthen our communities.

13/01/2026

🌱 What can £1,500 do?
More than you think. From shared meals to youth retreats, churches across the West Midlands are using microgrants to build justice, belonging, and community.

✨ Be inspired by what’s already happening—and imagine what could happen in your own context.

Read the full story here:
🔗 https://wmracialjustice.org.uk/inspiration-for-microgrants-stories-of-impact-across-our-dioceses

16/12/2025

𝗡𝗼 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻: What happens when the Church invites our stories — but not our leadership?

This short Christmas reflection asks the Church of England to look again at the nativity. It’s not just about welcome. It’s about power.

“Creating room in the inn is not a seasonal gesture. It is an institutional responsibility.”

👉🏾 Read the full reflection here: https://wmracialjustice.org.uk/no-room-in-the-inn/

📍 For Church leaders, justice advocates and anyone committed to structural belonging.

10/12/2025

At the Diocese of Hereford Multi-Academy Trust Carol Service, more than 400 children gathered at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate a Christmas story shared across cultures and generations. One of the most striking moments came as the DHMAT Choir sang Siyahamba — sung first in isiZulu, the South African hymn meaning “We are marching in the light of God.” In a largely rural region with limited ethnic diversity, hearing children confidently sing in another language offered a gentle but powerful reminder that faith is global, interconnected and enriched by voices beyond our own.

One of the service’s readings told how Christmas is celebrated in different parts of the world, including the Caribbean and India. By placing local tradition alongside worldwide expressions of Christmas, the Trust invited pupils to imagine themselves as part of a bigger human story.

For the West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative, it was a hopeful sign of inclusion formed through curiosity, openness and song.

More details on Hereford Diocese's website: https://hereford.anglican.org/news/childrens-voices-soar-at-hereford-cathedral-dhmat-carol-service.php