Sophie Holder was commissioned as Director of Racial Equity for the Diocese of Leicester during a joyful service of intercultural worship at the recent meeting of Diocesan Synod.
Everyone gathered at Emmanuel Church in Loughborough on Saturday 23 November to witness Sophie make a commitment to work in partnership with the whole people of God here in the diocese, by seeking to help God grow his Kingdom, and committing herself to the daily task of standing up for racial justice.
The service was an uplifting mix of multicultural music and liturgy. Bishop Saju also shared a conversation with Sophie about her background, faith and hopes for the role.
Bishop Martyn said that he is “delighted that Sophie is joining us to champion this vital work,” concluding the commissioning with the following blessing:
May almighty God empower you to continue his work of reconciliation, give you the courage to overcome fears and embody love, give you grace to grow in self-awareness and personal integrity, and strengthen you to seek the unity that is in Christ, that we may rejoice with all God’s children as disciples of God’s Son. Amen.
Sophie will begin as Director of Racial Equity this week, on 6 December 2024.
We caught up with Sophie to get to know her a little better and talk about her hopes for the new role…
What inspires and energises you about the role of Director of Racial Equity and working within the Diocese of Leicester? What are you most looking forward to?
What has inspired and energised me most about the role of Director of Racial Equity is the dedication of the diocese’s leaders in welcoming, creating and building a fellowship that utilises the gifts, skills and talents of all those who have been made in the image of God. For race equity work to be successful, there must be support from those in decision-making positions and I am excited and passionate about what can be achieved as a result.
As a Black British woman and a life-long Christian, it has been difficult and sometimes painful to see Christianity pigeon-holed as a religion and faith for one set of people, from one part of the world or only to be expressed through one tradition. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Bible is a book of diverse people, backgrounds and locations. Witnessing the diocese’s commitment to exploring, enhancing and empowering the communities within its remit, is work I am very excited to lead and be a part of in the coming years.
Over the next few months, I am most looking forward to meeting, understanding and listening to what matters most to the people who comprise the faith communities in the diocese, from congregations, ministers, schools and church workers. I am eager to work in this role but ultimately, it can only be successful through collaboration. Therefore, I look forward to listening, learning and leading racial equity alongside, and for the betterment of all in the diocese.
Are there any experiences from your life so far that you think will shape what you do in your new role?
I believe my personal and professional life up until this point will strongly influence and shape my work in this role. As someone who sees herself as many things - Black, British, of Caribbean heritage, Christian - I am aware of how all these markers have impacted my life, faith and experience in the UK. In many ways they have enhanced my experience, but they have also forced me to see how nuanced and complicated the experience of faith can be within a white-majority country.
However, having worked in international development across various continents, predominately within faith communities, I have seen how multifaceted God and Christianity can be - how it is lived diversely and yet with similarities amongst its many followers. These experiences have helped to develop not only my relationship and understanding of people in general, but also removed many of the limitations by which I discuss and implement race equity work. As Director of Racial Equity, I see my role as taking people on this journey.
While my work will consist of creating systems and initiatives that create change and impact for all – particularly the most marginalised – my ultimate purpose is for this work to be unifying. Racial equity should empower all people to better see and appreciate our multifaceted God, even as we continue to deepen our shared Christian faith.
What are your hopes for this role and what do you hope God might do in and through you?
My hopes for this role are grand, but realistic.
My grand hope is to make racial equity an essential consideration and foundation of the Church of England’s work in the diocese. There should be policies, programmes and support mechanisms that allow people to be heard, understood and championed - regardless of their identity, background and/or heritage.
Yet, to achieve this goal, we must be realistic about where we are. We are embarking on a journey that will include change. Change is never easy, even when it is welcomed. It is often filled with ups and downs, wins, discomfort, excitement and apprehension. However, this is no different to the journey and experiences we see in our patriarchs and matriarchs of the Bible - Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Esther. While they had faith and belief that God was leading, their journey was not one of constant joy. Nevertheless, they were dedicated to staying the course until God fulfilled what He had intended for their lives, and through them a blessing for countless generations.
My greatest hope is that my role is seen no differently within the diocese. Building and achieving racial equity will be a journey, one that will take time, change, wisdom and faith. There will be triumphs and challenges, but I believe if we stay the course, God will transform our diocese into a place that welcomes, serves, and introduces all to Christ.
You can read more about Sophie here.
*The role of Diocesan Director of Racial Equity has been made possible by national church Racial Justice funding and has been offered on an initial three-year term, by approval of our Bishops’ Council and Diocesan Synod.