Championing Justice

Under USPG’s strategic objective of Championing Justice two priority areas of focus identified for 2022 were engaging with history and promoting ecological justice.

As part of its efforts to promote ecological justice in solidarity with churches, USPG launched a new report ‘Risking Life for People and the Planet’, which outlines the sacrifices made by Iglesia Filipina Independiente as they stand in solidarity with indigenous groups against government-backed oppression.

Championing justice also entails shifting viewpoints to create new practices. As a result, USPG also contributed to the completion of the ‘Renewing the Life of the Earth’ eco-theology and ethics video resource for use at theological colleges across the Anglican Communion, which was produced in collaboration with TEAC (Theological Education at the Anglican Communion). The resource covers contextual perspectives and input on biblical hermeneutics, theology, missiology, politics and ethics and ideas for action including worship and liturgy, discipleship, and advocacy launched at the ACC-18 (Anglican Consultative Council) meeting in Ghana in February 2023.

This year also saw the launch of the pilot programme of “Partners in the Gospel: Comprehensive Climate Change Knowledge and Climate Justice”, an inter-provincial climate knowledge programme in the Africa region. The programme aims to have a wide-ranging impact on ecojustice in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia.

As part of its efforts to engage with our own history, USPG welcomed the Rev Garfield Campbell from the Church of the Province of the West Indies as a co-supervised PhD student with the University of Leeds. His work will include archival research enabling greater insight into (U)SPG’s history and a deeper understanding of the legacies of slavery.

In December USPG organised a Symposium entitled “Mission and Power: Analysing (U)SPG” at the University of Leeds (December 2022) to gather and map expert knowledge (practitioner and academic) about (U)SPG as a 300-year-old organisation, specifically around the intersections of “mission” and “power” across geographical and historical contexts often over many years. One of the aims of this symposium was to begin to construct a research and practice agenda, and identify collaborators and potential partners in relation to the following areas: institution and archive; theological education; and programmatic activities within churches in Britain and Ireland (specifically relating to racial and economic justice). Potential follow-up activities to this symposium include building the academic-practitioner network with academic colleagues in Ghana, Germany and the Caribbean, and developing a fundable proposal to support theological and storytelling collaborations between ordinands and early career scholars and clergy in Ghana and the Caribbean.

Solidarity with Ukraine was perhaps the most tangible expression of justice in 2022. With the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 USPG was invited to be the Diocese in Europe’s key partner in responding to the crisis. Our joint response has had two key components. Building on the strong ecumenical relationships of the Diocese in Europe we committed to contributing financially to the large-scale humanitarian actions of Caritas SPES and the Lutheran World Federation within Ukraine and across neighbouring countries.

Both responses include the provision of shelter, access to basic needs (including food, water, hygiene, and medicine), education and psychological well-being and protection services. We have also supported seven chaplaincies within the Diocese in Europe to develop contextually relevant responses providing project support and additional input including a briefing on the risk of human trafficking. These responses range from accommodation programmes to food distributions, and informal education programmes to projects that support integration. Some have established their own initiatives whilst others have formed strong partnerships with local organisations. It has been encouraging to see how action for social justice, in a spirit of welcome and hospitality, has transformed and enlivened understandings of mission among the chaplaincies.