Rt Rev Graham Usher spoke out in favour of the project in the face of growing opposition from critics who believe the scheme is misguided and the money should be used to support struggling parishes and maintain crumbling church buildings.

He insisted the Church of England had a "moral imperative" to address its historic connections to the transatlantic slave trade by creating the investment fund which could support social and environmental projects set up by descendants of slaves.

The scheme - called Project Spire - was set up in 2023 after a report found a fund established by Queen Anne in 1704 to support poor Anglican clergy had invested in African slavery.

The project - which has already cost £1.15m in research, consultancy and legal fees - has been welcomed as a belated acknowledgement of the Church’s involvement in slavery but criticised for pledging £100m at a time of financial turmoil, especially for local parishes.

The Rt Rev Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich (Image: Diocese of Norwich/Luke W Bryant)

Opponents say there is a lack of evidence for the reparation claims and it fails to take into account the Church’s role in efforts to end slavery.

It is now facing a legal challenge which had thrown it into doubt.

But Bishop Graham led a defence of the scheme at a meeting of the church's ruling General Synod, which convened in York, and insisted it was pushing ahead with it.

He said: “We continue to be outraged by our historic links to African chattel enslavement and our........

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