Revd Canon Eve Pitts: A turning point in the Church of England
In 1994 Revd Canon Eve Pitts made history by becoming the first Black woman to be ordained in the Church of England. Roy Francis charts her rise and impact
On March 26, 2026, the Church of England (CofE) – for the first time in its long history – appointed a woman as the Archbishop of Canterbury. When the announcement was made, it raised eyebrows and prompted scepticism in equal measures. Yet the moment was deeply significant, for an old institution like the CofE, once the preserve of predominantly white men, it had finally opened its doors to change and progress.
In 1994, another historic event took place, with far less ceremony and fanfare: the appointment of Eve Pitts as the first Black female priest in the Church of England. A decade earlier and no less important, Wilfred Wood had been chosen to become the first Black bishop. Both appointments are deeply connected and, to make sense of them, they need to be understood within the historical context of the CofE’s relationship with Black communities, especially those in the Caribbean.
Forged on the plantations of the Caribbean, this relationship was a curious and deeply paradoxical one; Christianity was introduced to enslaved people, while at the same time the CofE, rather than condemning enslavement outright, sustained and supported it. Over time, however, this relationship evolved, so that today, any resistance to Black people’s involvement in the Church and its highest offices is fiercely resisted. The appointments, therefore, of Eve Pitts and Wilfred Wood are deeply significant and are also profound personal achievements.
I first came across Eve Pitts in the 1980s, when, as a fledgling researcher, I worked for Television South, the independent television company for the South and Southeast of England. The late Andrew Barr was both my boss and producer of the Human Factor series I worked on, which centred around human-interest stories, and profiled the challenges and adversity people faced, exploring their experiences in overcoming them.
One of the programmes was ‘Racism in the Church of England’, and, because Eve Pitts was an outspoken critic of the racism she found in the Church – as well as the first Black female priest in the CofE – Andrew wanted to interview her. My responsibility was to research the content of the programme, which brought me into contact with Revd Pitts. The programme caused a minor stir when it was broadcast, and propelled Eve Pitts even more into the spotlight.
Now, 40 years later, Revd Canon Eve Pitts is well-known in the CofE, and remains forthright in pointing out and challenging racism, as well as being a much-loved member of her community. Although born in Jamaica, she has made Britain her home, and her family is based in the country. In 1986, she heeded the call to ministry training at The Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham to become a priest. Three years later, she was ordained a deacon, and, in 1994, became the first Black female priest in the Church of England.
Eve says: “It was a very exciting moment when I was first ordained. I did it on the day when the first lot of women became priests, but I was the first Black woman to go through with it. It was the fulfilment of lots of hopes and dreams for me. To serve God in such an official way was terrifying, but glorious.”
On a personal level, Pitts believed her ordination signalled that the CofE was at last willing to recognise women and Black Anglicans fully, with all the rights and responsibilities associated with being a member of the Church. It’s a right, she says, many people have fought for, and this has meant sweeping aside long-held customs, traditions and conventions, many of which has historically barred entry. It wasn’t plain sailing, Pitts said, and although her appointment was hailed and applauded, it nevertheless was controversial, and at times, she said, she “felt like a trophy”.
In recent years, things have changed, as more women, Black people, and those from ethnic communities are appointed to positions within the Church. But there is always the spectre of racism – more often structural than intentional – that has to be addressed, and, rather than shy away from it and sit comfortably in her ministerial post, Pitts confronts it head-on. It has often got her into trouble, like when serving at St Nicolas’ Church in Kings Norton, Birmingham, she publicly criticised her fellow clergies in a sermon, alleging they were ignoring and sidelining her. Her superior, the Bishop of Birmingham, claimed what she said made it “impossible for her to continue to serve in the church”, and she was asked to resign. Thankfully, with the help of the Association of Black Clergy, she was reinstated and given a new church to pastor.
With a new church at Highter’s Heath in Birmingham, Pitts’ first task was to raise funds, as the church desperately needed rebuilding. Believing the church hierarchy had “sent her there to die”, they underestimated her resolve. Although the early days there were difficult, marked by a “real sense of trepidation”, gradually Pitts’ confidence returned and with it her remarkable creativity. She devised a range of fundraising efforts and galvanised the church and community into helping to raise the funds for the refurbishment effort. She slept on the church roof for twelve hours; organised parish donations and coffee mornings; walked from Birmingham to Canterbury; and took part in walkathons and danceathons. She even disco-danced for twelve hours without a break, and, through these efforts, combined with two small grants, successfully raised the funds needed to refurbish the church.
Always strong on her identity as a Black woman, Pitts attributes much of her resolve to her upbringing in Jamaica, and particularly the influence of her paternal grandmother, who was a member of the Pocomaniachurch. ‘Poco’, as it’s known in Jamaica, is a pejorative term meaning a ‘little madness’, and is a branch of Jamaican Revivalism which began during enslavement in the 19th century.
By her own admission, Pitts says she is a complex person, and her theology is complex also. As an Anglican and an African Caribbean, she sees many of her religious practices as part of her theology and identity, as well as being uplifting and liberating. Yet, she says, she often has “a problem with God”, and from an early age was critical of Christianity’s portrayal of Christ as a white man, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and, given the place He’s from, she says this couldn’t possibly be so. Also, the idea of ‘whiteness, as synonymous with godliness’ – historically promoted by the CofE, Pitts says – she finds repugnant. It has done “deep damage” to Black people, and although the Bible says ‘we are made in the image of God’, Black people often find it difficult to make this mental adjustment, preventing them from fully liberating themselves from what Pitts calls “mental slavery”.
Forever an outspoken critic of society and the Church, over the years Pitts has faced persistent criticism and repeated calls to temper her voice, with demands for her resignation. A common refrain was that she was “too outspoken” and “too confrontational”. Some argued that her views were too “politically charged” for a priest – an assessment she believes fails to understand or value the depth of emotion and moral urgency that racism provokes, as well as its insidious and enduring effects.
With this background and her keen cultural awareness, Pitts openly celebrated her Caribbean and African roots in her role as a priest in the Church of England. Alongside traditional Anglican liturgy, she has introduced Caribbean liturgical elements within her services, and each year before she retired, she conducted an ‘Emancipation Service’ that commemorates the Atlantic Slave Trade. She would approach the altar in her church in chains, as a stark reminder of the terrible suffering endured by the enslaved. Pitts says the horror of slavery and the Atlantic Slave Trade should never be forgotten, and she has never failed to call out the Church on the evil of racism, nor when it falls below its own teachings.
It’s these and her faithfulness to God, why Pitts believes she’s been able to weather out the storms raged against her, and because of this, her life today stands as a testimony to her courage, perseverance and deep devotion. Her ordination came at the right time, a pivotal moment in the history of the Church, and it is this which has given her the opportunity to serve, as well as a platform to advocate for women and Black people, and, when needed, to remind the Church of its historic calling, that in Christ, all are equal.
ROY FRANCIS
Former BBC producer, and author of Making Gospel Music Work for You.
Visit www.royfrancis.co.uk
