When? 2nd Sunday in February
Racial Justice Sunday was established by the Methodist Church 30 years ago, in response to the murder of Black teenager Stephen Lawrence two years earlier.
This year’s theme, ‘Coat of Many Colours’, is designed to help us reflect on the increasing diversity that exists in the churches in Britain and Ireland.
Worship resources
Worship resources can be downloaded from Christians Together in Britain and Ireland: https://ctbi.org.uk/racial-justice-sunday-9-february-2025/
Background to Racial Justice Sunday
The Methodist Church has celebrated Racial Justice Sunday (RJS) since 1989, on the second Sunday in September. Since September 1995 RJS has become an ecumenical event celebrated in Britain and Ireland. RJS moved to the second Sunday in February, with effect from 2017. This Sunday is an opportunity for all Christians to join together in:
- Reflecting on the importance of racial justice
- Thanksgiving for human diversity
- Prayer for an end to misunderstanding, racism and injustice
- Action that truly makes a difference
- Fundraising for national and local racial justice initiatives
Why Celebrate Racial Justice Sunday?
We believe that the universe was created by a loving God who chose to become a human being in Jesus Christ, who has redeemed the world and sent the Holy Spirit to enable us to love one another with God's love. All human beings are equally children of God and loved by God. Since none is outside the love of God, none should be outside our love either.
We believe that the diversity of the human race was no mistake on God's part. God deliberately created variety within the human family and wants us to take as much delight in that variety as God does.
But racism persists in Britain and Ireland. At its most obvious and brutal, it takes the form of physical attacks, which sometimes end in murder. But it takes many other forms as well, like discrimination within the police force, popular prejudice against Travellers or people seeking asylum, or reluctance to accept people of a different ethnic or cultural group as neighbours. Even within churches, people can face discrimination and unkindness because they are different from the majority in a particular community.
As long as this continues, we believe that it is important to make time to give thanks for our diversity and to pray for God's help in overcoming our prejudices and the injustices that reflect and reinforce them.
'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.'
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN, 1948