The Great Anti-Woke Revolt: Why Church of England Bishops are Facing Fury Over £100m Payout

 A Church Divided

The Church of England (CofE) is facing a crisis that has nothing to do with prayer and everything to do with politics. The "right-on" bishops at the top of the church hierarchy have made a massive promise. They have vowed to set aside £100 million for a reparations fund. This money is intended to address the church's historic links to the transatlantic slave trade.

However, this move has triggered what many are calling the "great anti-woke revolt." In parishes across the country, the people in the pews are rising up in anger. They see this not as an act of Christian charity, but as a "betrayal" of the local churches that are struggling to keep their doors open. The gap between the bishops in their palaces and the worshippers in the village churches has never been wider.

The Source of the "Slave Wealth"

To understand the anger, we must look at where the money comes from. The £100 million is coming from the Church Commissioners. This is the body that manages the church’s massive investment portfolio, currently worth billions.

Recent research revealed that a predecessor fund, called Queen Anne’s Bounty, invested heavily in the South Sea Company in the 1700s. This company was responsible for transporting thousands of enslaved people across the Atlantic. The bishops argue that because the church profited from this "scary" and evil trade, it has a moral duty to pay it back.

The Revolt in the Pews

While the bishops talk about "historic justice," the average churchgoer sees a different reality. Many local vicars are struggling to pay for heating. Roofs are leaking, and many small churches are being closed down because they cannot afford their "parish share"—the money they must send to the central church.

The "anti-woke" revolt is led by people who believe the £100 million should be spent on the living, not the dead. They argue that:

Current Needs First: Local communities need more priests and better-maintained buildings.

Collective Guilt: Many feel it is unfair to blame current worshippers for the sins of people who lived 300 years ago.

Political Posturing: Critics, including author AN Wilson, suggest the bishops are more interested in "virtue signaling" to the secular world than in helping their own flock.

"The bishops are acting like a political lobby group rather than the guardians of a spiritual tradition," says one disgruntled campaigner.

The £1 billion Pressure

The situation became even more intense when a group of advisors suggested that £100 million was not enough. They claimed that the fund should eventually reach £1 billion. This "eye-popping" figure has sent shockwaves through the church.

If the church were to spend £1 billion on reparations, many believe it would lead to total financial ruin. It would mean the end of the traditional parish system as we know it. This has added a sense of urgency to the revolt. People are no longer just grumbling; they are starting to withhold their donations to ensure their money stays in their local community.

AN Wilson’s Scathing View

The famous writer AN Wilson has been a vocal critic of this "right-on" agenda. He argues that the church is losing its way. By focusing so heavily on modern "woke" issues, he believes the bishops are ignoring the spiritual needs of the nation.

Wilson points out the irony that while the church tries to "atone" for the 18th century, it is failing to fill its pews in the 21st century. He describes the reparations plan as a "stunning twist" in the church's history—one where the leadership seems to actively dislike the history and the people they are supposed to represent.

The Global Context

The Church of England is not alone in this struggle. Universities and big banks are also facing calls for reparations. However, the church is different because it relies on the goodwill of its members. Unlike a bank, the church is a family. When the "heads of the family" decide to give away the inheritance to fix a mistake from ten generations ago, the rest of the family is going to have questions.

The "validation" that the bishops seek from secular activists is not helping them with their core audience. In fact, many believe it is driving people toward other denominations or away from faith altogether.

What Happens Next?

The battle lines are drawn. The bishops have made their vow, and they show no signs of backing down. But the anti-woke revolt is growing. More and more "save our parish" groups are forming to fight the centralizing power of the church hierarchy.

As we move through 2026, the question remains: Can the Church of England survive this internal war? If the bishops continue to prioritize reparations over the survival of the parish, they may find themselves with a very large fund—and very few people left to pray with.

Conclusion: A Test of Faith

This is a test of what the church values most. Is it about social engineering, or is it about the local community? The £100 million row is just the beginning. The great revolt in the pews is a sign that the "ordinary" people of Britain are finally tired of being told what to think by a leadership that seems to have lost its way.