The Church of England is facing a legal challenge over Project Spire, its £100m plan to address historical links to slavery, as staff endure 'vile abuse' from critics. At the General Synod in York, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell defended the project as a 'work of healing, justice and repair'.
Church's Role in Slavery
Daniel Matovu, a barrister representing the diocese of Oxford at the synod, stated that the church not only profited from the slave trade but 'supported, defended and participated in' it. He noted that the church generated roughly £5m per year in today's money from directly running sugar plantations in Barbados between 1710 and 1838, amounting to £640m in total.
Project Spire Details
Project Spire was established in 2023 after research revealed that Queen Anne's Bounty, a church endowment fund dating back to 1704, had invested in the South Sea Company, which transported over 34,000 enslaved Africans. The fund also received donations from Edward Colston, a senior figure in the Royal African Company. The Church Commissioners committed £100m to develop an 'impact investment fund' supporting startups in descendant communities.
Criticism and Legal Challenge
The project has faced criticism from the rightwing thinktank Policy Exchange, Tory politicians like Katie Lam, and some C of E members who argue it is 'historically uninformed'. Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher confirmed the legal challenge, stating the Church Commissioners need 'full legal advice' to address it. He added that staff have received 'vile abuse' and urged prayers for them.
Reparative Justice Efforts
The Anglican missionary organisation USPG set up a £7m reparative justice project in 2024 after apologising for owning two Barbados plantations where thousands were enslaved. Usher emphasised that 'no amount of money can ever repay' the harms of slavery, calling the fund 'a start'.
