Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US (by Pastor Lenny Duncan)
Lenny Duncan is the unlikeliest of pastors. Formerly incarcerated, he is now a black preacher in the whitest denomination in the United States: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He received his Masters of Divinity degree from United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia.
Shifting demographics and shrinking congregations make all the headlines, but Duncan sees something else at work–drawing a direct line between the church’s lack of diversity and the church’s lack of vitality.
Part manifesto, part confession, and all love letter, Dear Church offers a bold new vision for the future of our denomination and the broader mainline Christian community of faith. Dear Church rejects the narrative of church decline and calls everyone leaders and laity alike —to the front lines of the church’s renewal through racial equality and justice. This one may make us a bit uncomfortable: The Rev. Duncan is talking to us, the ELCA.
What better place to discuss with and wrestle with uncomfortable ideas – and some challenging action steps – than in a supportive environment with people we love and respect. Join us as we read, wrestle, and grow.
Session 1 – Introduction and Chapters 1,2,3
Monday, October 19, 2020, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Session facilitators: Beth Boeh, Norma Nish
Session 2 – Chapters 9,10,11
Monday, October 26, 2020, 6:30-8:00 pm
Participants must register using our Google form so that they can receive a link to participate in the Zoom conversation: https://forms.gle/nEzRGkEr87tbY8a96