‘We repent’: Church of Scotland apologizes for role in slavery – Read the full apology here 

by Mildred Europa Taylor Face2FaceAfrica.com

The Rt Rev Gordon Kennedy, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, reads the apology, joined by delegates from Nigeria, Ghana and Jamaica. Photo: Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland has apologized for its historical role in chattel slavery. The apology, which was adopted at the church’s General Assembly on Saturday, said that the Kirk is “grieved beyond telling by the extraordinary suffering we have inflicted – through our actions and our inaction – on our brothers and sisters.”

“We repent, committing ourselves to changing course and bearing fruit worthy of repentance,” it added.

The apology recognized that the Church benefited from some of its members and their families’ direct and indirect participation in slavery.

It also acknowledged that before the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in the 1830s, some members and officers of the Church offered theological justifications for chattel slavery.

The Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, who presented the apology, said this was “a humbling moment” for the Church of Scotland and “a gracious opportunity to say we are sorry”.

“The history we consider today continues to shape our world in ways we cannot ignore. Its consequences touch communities near and far, influencing the structures, attitudes and inequalities that persist around us,” she continued. “The legacy of slavery stretches like a shadow over our local, national and global landscape.

“Naming that is not about blame, but about faithfulness – about recognizing that healing begins where truth is spoken.”

The apology was developed following engagement with groups within the Church, including members of African heritage, presbyteries and ministers.

“An ecumenical pilgrimage to Jamaica, and relationships with the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and the Presbyterian Church in Trinidad and Tobago in 2024, further informed the apology,” the Church said in a statement.

At the General Assembly over the weekend were several overseas delegates from Africa and the Caribbean.

In responding to the report, Rose Wedderburn, General Secretary of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, said, “For many in the Church of Scotland, this report has been an eye opener.

“While the process has understandably evoked deep emotions – the effort invested in truth-telling and honest engagement is worthwhile. And we pray it will continue to bear fruit in greater understanding, healing, justice and reconciliation.”

Rev Dr Victor Okoe, from Abbey Trinity Presbyterian Church in Ghana, said, “I pray the Church and its members will be bold and continue to be committed to walk the talk and implement the demands of its apology.”

The General Assembly, on Saturday, committed the Kirk to create a new working group to recommend appropriate next steps, the statement from the Church said, adding that the working group will be in partnership with those who continue to be affected by the legacies of slavery.

Scores of institutions in Scotland have already apologized for their historical relationships with slavery, including Edinburgh and Glasgow councils, which did so in 2022, as reported by the BBC.

Read the Church’s full apology here: