“Diversity is even more diverse now. We are called to be one but not the same”, said the former President of The Methodist Church of Great Britain Rev Dr Inderjit Bhogal OBE who is also the founder of “City of Sanctuary” initiative https://cityofsanctuary.org/.
Speaking at the recent launch of South Bedfordshire Methodist Circuit Racial Justice Strategy at St John’s Methodist Church in Luton, Rev Bhogal said, human beings are wondrously complex and diverse. What makes people different needn’t be reduced to certain labels e.g. BAME (Black & Minority Ethnic) communities.
The initialism and the acronym BAME has been growing in prominence, but critiques say it does lump a lot of minorities together and is used to tick a box.
Considering life isn’t black and white, discussions about valuing and embracing diversity in all its shades are important so that we grow in the way we view, perceive and understand the world.
Rev Bhogal said, “Racism is not mere prejudice; it is prejudice plus power. The only way to tackle is to end it.”
evd Arlington Trotman & Terence Ilott, members of the South Bedfordshire Methodist Circuit Equality Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee, commended all the committee members as being “towers of strength”.
They said working together on the Strategy has enabled us all to hear God from our different perspectives. “The value of this document now will not be assessed on the basis of how and what it looks like but how we respond to it in action.”
The strategy document titled ALL TOGETHER was formally presented to the newly appointed Circuit Superintendent Rev Patrick Kandeh.
Patrick said, “We are making history tonight. It’s not the end; not even the beginning. It is the ongoing journey which must continue to progress.”
Revs Arlington Trotman (left) & Patrick Kandeh (right) launching South Beds Methodist Circuit Racial Justice Strategy at St John’s Methodist Church Luton