First black female deacon's parish to be disbanded

Reverend Yvonne Clarke was the first black female deacon appointed by the Church of England

The first black female deacon in the Church of England (CoE) has lost an appeal over the decision to dissolve her south London parish.

Reverend Yvonne Clarke was ordained as a deacon in 1987 and had served All Saints Shirley church in Croydon for more than 20 years.

The parish - All Saints Spring Park - is to be divided between two others in the area under cost-cutting plans.

Mrs Clarke and her parish challenged the decision earlier this year, claiming it "disproportionately affected Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) parishioners relative to white people", but a committee of the Privy Council has dismissed the appeal.

The parish is part of the Southwark Diocese, which in 2021 approved plans to dissolve the parish because of "ongoing concerns about the financial viability and capacity for governance".

At the appeal earlier this year, the KC for Mrs Clarke and the parishioners told the committee that All Saints Shirley congregation was predominantly BAME and that having a black leader was important to them.

The parish has historically had a large proportion of African Caribbean residents and since 2000 has diversified further, now containing a wide mix of migrants, according to Mrs Clarke.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which hears appeals on some church issues, said it was "satisfied that the decision to make the scheme did not involve unlawful discrimination or any failure to take into account the needs of minority ethnic communities".

It ruled that church commissioners did not have to abide by the Equalities Act as they were not a public body.

Giving the committee's unanimous decision, Lord Hodge said the committee did not have the power to hear the appeal, and that the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council would only intervene "in relatively limited circumstances".

'Ground-breaking contribution'

Mrs Clarke now has 12 months to leave her parish, at which time her role will be abolished.

“Naturally, I am disappointed with this judgement, which will result in the dissolution of a unique, black-led parish and the termination of my role as one of the few black vicars of Jamaican heritage in the Church of England," she said, following the ruling.

“The 10-strong All Saints Spring Park Parochial Church Council is made up of 80% black congregants and provides important leadership in an area of high minority ethnic population.

"Along with its members, I am very upset that this important body within the Church of England is being dissolved," she added.

A spokesperson for the CoE said the judgment meant the proposed reorganisation could go ahead.

"The church commissioners recognise this will come as a disappointment to the Reverend Yvonne Clarke and wish to acknowledge her ground-breaking contribution as the first black woman ordained as a deacon in the Church of England, and one of the first female priests."