A coalition of 27 MPs and peers has written to Dame Sarah Mullally, who is set to become Archbishop of Canterbury next month, calling on her to abandon the Church of England's £100 million slavery reparations initiative.
The letter, spearheaded by Shadow Home Office Minister Katie Lam, includes signatures from prominent Conservative figures such as Chris Philp, Claire Coutinho and Neil O'Brien.
The parliamentarians are pressing Dame Sarah to halt the scheme known as Project Spire before she formally takes up the most senior position in the Church.
Dame Sarah, currently serving as Bishop of London, will be legally confirmed as Archbishop in January and enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral in March, becoming the first woman to hold the role.
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The signatories contend the Church Commissioners' endowment is legally required to support parish ministry, upkeep church buildings and preserve the institution's historical records.
"At a moment when churches across the country are struggling to keep their doors open — many even falling into disrepair — it's wrong to try and justify diverting £100 million to a project entirely separate from those core obligations," the letter states.
The £100million would be drawn from the Church Commissioners' fund and placed into a separate charitable vehicle designed to grow over time, supporting communities affected by historic African chattel enslavement.
The parliamentarians argue this represents an improper use of resources that should instead be directed towards struggling parishes and clergy wages across England.
Dame Sarah Mullally is the first woman appointed to the Church of England's most senior clerical role in its nearly 500-year history | PAThe group also challenges the "evidential basis" underpinning Project Spire, warning proceeding could establish a "worrying precedent" that pressures other organisations to pursue similar schemes.
"The Church has a long and complex historical record, one that includes both moral failures and courageous leadership in the abolitionist movement. To reduce this history to a simplistic narrative of guilt does a disservice both to truth and to the Church's own legacy," the letter argues.
The parliamentarians urge Dame Sarah to send a clear message that her leadership will prioritise strengthening parishes rather than what they describe as "high-profile and legally dubious vanity projects".
They note numerous worshippers, clergy members and members of the public have contacted them expressing concerns about the initiative.
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Dame Sarah Mullally will be legally confirmed in January and enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral in March
| GETTYThe Church Commissioners have defended the initiative, describing their organisation as a 320-year-old Christian endowment fund that discovered historic connections to transatlantic African chattel enslavement.
A spokesman stated Project Spire aligns with "the Church of England's Fourth Mark of Mission: to 'seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation'".
The Commissioners insisted governance arrangements are being "developed transparently — in line with charity law, our fiduciary duties, and our moral purpose — to ensure proper oversight and accountability".
The reparations proposal emerged in January 2023 after research revealed that Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund created in 1704 to assist impoverished clergy, had invested in and received donations derived from African chattel enslavement.
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