Sankofa
From the Akan tribe in Ghana
SAN (return), KO (go), FA (look, seek and take).
The name Sankofa means: we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone, or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved, and perpetuated.
who we are
The Sankofa Collective exists to create a space for Christians to be able to come together to work towards racial justice. As Christians, we have received the “ ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18), so we want to serve, encourage and equip the UK Church to engage in a journey of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Our Vision
We aim to be a community of Christians who are passionate about learning our collective history, engaging in lament and repentance, and to seeking ways to walk towards racial justice. We want to see genuine long-lasting reconciliation with the UK Church.
Our Values
We are a community that is Cross-centred, Spirit-led in wisdom and discernment, committed to truth and reconciliation, humble, compassionate and empathetic. Our four pillars of telling history, lament, repentance and forgiveness, and changing systems, are underpinned by our key aim of education.
Our team
Lisa Adjei
Host, Nurturer, A Puller-up-of-Rugs
“I want to see the UK Church be courageous in addressing racisn at its roots, repenting of white supremacy and truly living out the truth of all people being image bearers.”
Eve Davenport
Passionate, Funny, Empathetic
“I believe in equality and social justice for all – something that we are not seeing in and out of a church setting. I believe awareness, education, and resourcing the Church can bring a cultural shift and see the Church represented as the vibrant, multifaceted community it is.”
Karl Kiarie
Positive, Encouraging, Strategic
“I believe in the recognition of the abundant talent that ethnic minorities bring to all spaces. My desire is to see unfettered access to corporate leadership opportunities and true multicultural worship in the Church.”
Emily Huggett
Empathetic, Strategic, Organised
“As Christians, the journey towards racial reconciliation requires us to look internally and ask the question: ‘Are my views or behaviours helping or hindering others from being able to meet with Jesus?’. I joined the Sankofa Collective to help create spaces for us to ask ourselves these difficult questions, and to repent and seek forgiveness, as well as creating space for those who are hurting to find healing.”
Sophia Kiguta-Kiarie
Empathetic, Reflective, Prophetic
“The Gospel is comprehensive in nature – reconciling us to God and to one another. As partners with Christ, the Church has a duty to respond as faithful witnesses not only through prayer but also action. We can no longer be passive in matters concerning racial justice when the mandate is clear. It is now time to stand like Nehemiah and rebuild the walls.”
Deborah Ross
Encourager, Wordsmith, Attentive to detail
“I want the Sankofa community to be an invitation; a safe space to explore racial injustice both within and outside of the church. As disciples of Jesus, I want us all to ask ourselves how our own thoughts, words and actions are contributing to the relentless injustice in our world. We need to ask ourselves, are we speaking out and acting to end unjust systems? Are we personally living the lives that Jesus called us to? “
