Ex-Bishop of Bristol Mike Hill rebuked over racial stereotyping

A retired bishop has been formally rebuked by the Church of England for racially stereotyping a clergyman.

Former Bishop of Bristol Mike Hill admitted to racial stereotyping in a reference for the Rev Alwyn Pereira.

The Archbishop of York imposed the rebuke - the least serious of penalties for misconduct - last month.

Hampshire vicar Mr Pereira, who was a newly ordained priest at the time, said he felt a "sense of vindication" but the penalty did not go "far enough".

Then-bishop Mr Hill said in a 2016 letter to a cleric about Mr Pereira: "Having worked very closely with people from the Indian sub-continent in my past, I think there are cultural differences in the way people like Alwyn communicate, and actually handle issues of truth and clarity."

Mr Pereira, whilst working as a curate, said he was "shocked" to find the letter in his personnel file in 2017 while preparing to talk up a post in Aldershot.

Prior to that he added he had been "surprised" by his struggle to find a post, despite good reports about his work.

He later reported the matter to the Church of England.

In a statement in December, Mr Hill said his comment was "injudicious and foolish" and "unbecoming" of someone in his position, but maintained it was "unintentional".

Along with rebuke he was also told to undergo unconscious racial bias training.

Mr Pereira said: "It is historic for a Church of England bishop to be found of unbecoming conduct on the base of racism, and to say this is not acceptable in the Church.

"So on the one hand I feel that sense of vindication, but then on the other hand it feels not quite far enough."

The Rt Rev Vivienne Faull, Bishop of Bristol, said the Church of England was determined to address institutional racism.

A statement from the Diocese of Bath and Wells said Mr Hill had relinquished a post of honorary assistant bishop in the diocese and withdrew from public ministry last June.

Last year the Archbishop of Canterbury said the Church of England was "still deeply institutionally racist".

The Church of England launched an anti-racism taskforce in October ahead of a Racial Justice Commission.

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