Online Symposium for the UK’s Caribbean diaspora

Three of the leading Black churches in the UK – the Church of God of Prophecy (UK), the New Testament Church of God and the New Testament Assembly – have joined forces with The University of the West Indies to stage an online Symposium on the ‘History, Heritage and Identity’ of people of Caribbean descent living in the United Kingdom.

Bishop Tedroy Powell, Presiding Bishop of the Church of God of Prophecy (UK Trust), describes this Symposium as the first in an ‘Education for Transformation’ series to connect the Caribbean Diaspora in the UK to its historical roots, and to construct the intellectual infrastructure for a high-quality conversation with key influencers in the power structure of British society, including the Church of England.

‘We are mindful of the public announcements from the Archbishop of Canterbury on the state of race relations in the UK, and we think the voice of the Afro-Caribbean Churches and Caribbean scholars through The University of the West Indies can greatly contribute to the Church of England’s ‘Racism Action Commission’ set to commence deliberations in January 2021,’ added Bishop Powell.

For Bishop Tedroy Powell and his fellow leaders from the Black Churches, the collaboration with The University of the West Indies is also a matter of firm Christian conviction that could mark a profound turning point for race relations and justice in the United Kingdom. ‘History has taught us that protest and reformation require not only the force of human action, but also the sustaining grace of sound conviction buttressed by knowledge and enlightenment,’ affirmed Bishop Powell.

All are welcome to attend the virtual Symposium, which will be streamed live on the University of the West Indies’ TV station www.uwitv.org on Thursday 12 November, beginning at 3.00pm. To register for the event, follow THIS LINK.