This is not work that can be done by the British Methodist Church alone. The Methodist Church in Britain has longstanding good relationships with sibling churches in the Caribbean and West Africa. In the context of those ongoing relationships the Methodist Church in Britain is in discussion with the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) and with the partner Churches in West Africa supported by the Africa Methodist Council.
West Africa
Initial discussions with Partner Churches shared the scope and focus for the work. Our Partners agreed this work is overdue and to engage with it.
A review of the local historical literature was commissioned by each of six Partners, funded by the World Mission Fund of the Methodist Church in Britain. The General Secretary of the African Methodist Council (AMC) is convening this work.
The outputs of this work together with proposals for concrete actions on reparatory justice informed by the history and theology were presented at an in-person meeting of West African Church leaders, researchers and a delegation from the Methodist Church in Britain. This took place in Lome, Togo, on 10-13 May 2026, prior to the Africa Methodist Council. This meeting is to discuss the research, listen deeply to each other, and agree the shape of proposals of concrete actions from the West African context to bring to the British Methodist Conference in 2027.
The Methodist Church in Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA)
The deep ongoing relationship, both institutional, historical and familial between the MCCA and the MCB is demonstrated, in part, in the reciprocal attendance of representatives at each other's conferences on every occasion. At the 2025 Methodist Conference in Britain, Bishop Juan Simpson, Presiding Bishop of the MCCA, spoke movingly about the desire to begin this work, that the debt is unpayable, and that we need to move beyond guilt and apology to concrete actions together.
Further discussion has followed and the MCCA have put together a group to lead on reparatory justice work. This group have set out a three-year plan of work. In the first step of this work the MCCA will first to explore their own archival research, before moving to engagement, theology and actions. MCB are committed to walking alongside, sharing in, facilitation of, learning together and action in partnership with the MCCA, honouring the processes and timeline of our partner as an expression of the reparatory justice processes.
The World Methodist Council
While not in the scope of the work of the British Church, it is important to note that the work under this memorial does not sit in a vacuum. One significant statement comes from the World Methodist Council. This statement was made at the World Methodist Council Steering Committee in Cape Coast, Ghana 14th August 2025. It states that: “The World Methodist Council encourages apologies from former colonial powers and the implementation of reparative justice for the crime of slavery.” And calls for formal apology, reparations and long-term investment.
The World Methodist Council, “supports all efforts of governments and institutions to recognise the evil done, to pay reparations and to seek restorative programmes to those countries who suffered the ignominious result of slavery.”
The full statement from the World Methodist Council can be read here: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx M22 Task Group - World Methodist Council statement 2025 GEN-SIA-01a-Shorter-Version-1.pdf - All Documents xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLINK BROKEN