CHURCH leaders have apologised after a black trainee vicar was turned down for a job because potential parishioners were “monochrome white working class”.

Augustine Tanner-Ihm, who lives in Durham, was told he “might feel uncomfortable” in the curacy role.

An email said, despite his “obvious gifts”, it was “not worth pursuing a conversation” about the vacancy in Hertfordshire.

Mr Tanner-Ihm, 30, who is from Chicago and is a Reverend Seminarian in the United States, is studying for a masters degree in theology at Durham University.

Mr Tanner-Ihm said he was ‘disappointed’ by the response.

He said: “It was very disappointing. In serving God and serving people I don’t think a characteristic like race, sex, sexual orientation or disability has anything to do with your calling or your vocation.

“This does not change my commitment to my faith of the Church of England but maybe I have to be a part of this journey and to be a prophetic voice for the church to help it along.”

Mr Tanner-Ihm, who has been in Durham for three years, said his experiences from living in the region were helping him cope with the rejection.

He said: “Durham is wonderful, beautiful place with amazing people, the Miners’ Gala to the incredible university.

“You have a hard-working ethic and continue to fight against oppression. You see people in County Durham get knocked down and continue to rise up.

“If I have learned anything from people in County Durham and the North-East in general it is to learn how to be picked up when you have been knocked down.”

The sender of the letter, has apologised for the hurt caused after it was shared on Twitter.

The sender said: “I quickly recognised and regretted my poor choice of words and I am very sorry indeed that what I said was hurtful to Mr Tanner-Ihm.

“It was careless, thoughtless and hasty and I still regret my choice of words.”

The Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, has written to Mr Tanner-Ihm to apologise.

He also expressed his personal commitment and that of the diocese: “to the increase and flourishing of BAME candidates for ministry and more widely the inclusion of BAME people in the churches, chaplaincies and schools here.”

The bishop said: “Racism is deeply embedded, affecting every part of society, including the Church and we all have much to do to confront it. This incident and the hurt we have caused serves to heighten our awareness of the need to improve. We wish Augustine well with his search for a curacy and with his future ministry.”

The Rt Revd Chris Goldsmith, the Church of England’s director of ministry, said: “We take very seriously any allegation that a curacy post, or any other position, may have been denied to someone on the grounds of their ethnic heritage.”

“We have also established that the diocese concerned has recognised its failure in this and sent a written apology.

“We fully recognise that the Church of England has a lot more work to do to become a place where our leadership is representative of the rich heritages of all the people of England.”