Anglican Church Told to Pay Up: Archbishop Demands Reparations for Slavery

Anglican Archbishop Calls for Reparations Over Church's Role in Transatlantic Slave Trade

The Most Rev. Philip Wright, Archbishop of the Church in the Province of the West Indies, has called on the Anglican Church to move beyond symbolic apologies for its role in the transatlantic slave trade and actively pursue reparative justice.

Wright made the remarks at an international gathering of 40 Anglican church leaders from 31 countries during the "Breaking the Chains of Injustice" consultation, led by the United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG).

The legacy of slavery places the Anglican Church at a significant moral crossroads.

Wright told the assembly that reparatory justice is not about retribution but about recognizing the harm caused by centuries of enslavement and exploitation.

It is not just about money, it is about acknowledging that the issues we face today are part of the legacy of slavery. We are calling for support in building new schools and hospitals so our people can step out of the legacy of this horrendous period of history.

The Archbishop praised the Church of England's £100 million Project Spire initiative, launched in 2023 to address its historical links to transatlantic slavery. He described it as a "first step towards achieving" reparatory justice.

The Church Commissioners' endowment, now worth billions, traces its roots to Queen Anne's Bounty, which invested in the South Sea Company that transported enslaved people. USPG itself received a bequest of Barbadian plantations in 1710 and profited from enslaved labor until 1838.

Church of England's £100 Million Reparations Plan Backed by Caribbean Archbishop

The CARICOM nations' 2013 "Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice" and the Church in the Province of the West Indies' 2015 synod motion supporting reparations provided the broader context for these discussions.

The related Codrington Project, launched in 2024, seeks to address USPG's historical involvement in slavery, including plans to transfer ownership to descendants of enslaved people and memorialize their burial sites.

Wright emphasized that the Anglican Church's credibility in its Christian witness depends on moving beyond symbolic gestures toward substantive measures addressing intergenerational economic disparity and inequality in Caribbean communities.

The Crusader's Opinion

Here is the uncomfortable truth that no one in church leadership wants to say out loud: you cannot buy your way out of sin. Throwing £100 million at a bureaucratic initiative does not absolve the Anglican Church of its historic betrayal of the Gospel. What would actually honor those who suffered? Preaching the uncompromised Word of God across the Caribbean. Building churches, not committees. Funding missionaries, not consultants. The fact that the Church of England can find £100 million for reparations but cannot fill its own pews on Sunday morning tells you everything about where their priorities lie. Repentance is not a wire transfer. It is falling on your knees before God and then getting up to do His work.

Take Action

• Pray: Lift up the Caribbean church communities still struggling with the generational impacts of slavery. Pray for genuine repentance and spiritual renewal in the Anglican Communion.
• Give: Support missionaries and church planters doing real Gospel work in the Caribbean through The Shepherd's Shield or Open Doors.
• Learn: Read the CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice and understand what Caribbean nations are actually asking for beyond monetary payments.
• Share: Post this article and start a conversation in your church about what genuine Christian repentance looks like versus institutional guilt spending.
• Write: Contact the Archbishop of Canterbury's office at lambeth.palace@churchofengland.org and urge that reparations funding prioritize direct Gospel ministry and church building in Caribbean communities.