As the moderator of the United Reformed Church (URC) General Assembly and a womanist practical theologian, I must respond to Dr Robert Beckford’s article regarding the URC’s acknowledgment of its historical involvement in the enslavement of African people (Will the Anglican church come clean and pay its debt over slavery? Not from what we have seen so far, 4 June).
Beckford critiques my role as a Black woman delivering the apology, overlooking my extensive background and connection as a Trinbagonian woman of Caribbean descent. Delivering the apology in Jamaica was a profound act of healing, and not just symbolic. My engagement in Jamaica with stakeholders including local leaders, church leaders, Prof Hilary Beckles and the Churches’ Reparations Action Forum underscores the depth of this commitment.
It is necessary to clarify my identity and role. The suggestion that a white person might have been more suitable to apologise perpetuates a harmful “white saviour” narrative. As the elected moderator, it was my duty and right to deliver this apology, representing not only the church but also my personal, historical connection to the issue.
This work is not just institutional but personal. I am a descendant of the enslaved, from a region marked by a legacy of resistance and struggle for justice. This history informs my work and teachings in the UK, making me uniquely positioned to deliver the apology. I invite Beckford and the Guardian to engage more deeply with the URC and other communities for a fuller understanding of the complexities involved in this journey towards reconciliation and justice.
Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson
Moderator, URC General Assembly
