A review by jlightwells
Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the Us by Lenny Duncan

5.0

If you haven't yet had the chance to read this, now is the time. Lenny Duncan is a voice in the church that we all need to hear: a black, queer man ordained to ministry in the ELCA, the whitest progressive Christian denomination in the country. Not only is Duncan's story incredibly compelling, but also it issues a call to action to do something about the ideologies that are killing Christianity. Namely racism, but also homophobia, patriarchy, and colonization. Writing each chapter as a love letter to the church, Duncan weaves together stories of care and compassion with pictures of where the church has deeply hurt and harmed people. He desperately wants the church to divorce itself from white supremacy, and models his own confession as he calls for repentance. I particularly appreciated Duncan's complete and utter honesty, and his willingness to call out the pitfalls of rushing toward reconciliation and healing. We are a wounded body, and these wounds will not be mended quickly or easily. This is an absolute must-read for all who care about the church and its witness in the world.