Dear Church

A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S.

By: Lenny Duncan

Narrated by: Nathan Hinton

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

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). 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. The problems the ELCA faces are theological, not sociological. But so are the answers.

Part manifesto, part confession, and all love letter, Dear Church offers a bold new vision for the future of Duncan's 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.

It is time for the church to rise up, dust itself off, and take on forces of this world that act against God: whiteness, misogyny, nationalism, homophobia, and economic injustice. Duncan gives a blueprint for the way forward and urges us to follow in the revolutionary path of Jesus.

Dear Church also features a discussion guide at the back - perfect for church groups, book clubs, and other group discussion.

©2019 Fortress Press (P)2020 Fortress Press

Every white person should listen to this!

I really feel inspired to join a congregation and fight to dismantle white supremacy. This is a compelling.

Listen all the way through

The story is compelling and challenging. I almost stopped halfway through. I am glad I chose to continue.
The message brings Christ’s message to our world today. It makes suggestions of ways we can act today in the place we are today.
It is the kind of tough love we need to hear.

A Must Read for Lutherans + ALL Christians!

This was one of the best books about living out our Christian values that I have ever read. I am humbled, inspired and excited that members of our church are reading Pastor Duncan’s book to learn about what our church needs NOW. THANK YOU for writing this book!!!

Passionate call to repentance, reparations renewal

This is the book the church in America needs to read. Especially my church, the ELCA. Dear Church is the church's guide to the 21st century.

I Dare You to Read This Book

Dear Church is one of those incredibly difficult conversations that your best friend confronts you with. This amazing piece was really difficult at times, but so full of hope and humor and LOVE that I have it on my “to read again” list. I always prefer author-narrated audiobooks, but the narrator here is fantastic and the authors voice shines through. So thankful for this!

astonishingly honest

Pastor Duncan offers so much to think about. Every Christian should read (or listen to) this book, but white people, in particular, will gain new and very important insights from a Black man who loves his church and obviously loves his neighbor as himself.

All ELCA members should read this!

While this book exposes and explains our failings as a church body, it also gives examples of what the church and its members need to do to be true followers of Christ. My hope is that this book will lead to reforms in the ELCA that demonstrate in tangible ways Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.

eye opening

this book has brought to light the much needed conversations we need to be having

A must read for anyone wanting to be church

A blue print of what must be done to bring us into One Church. Unfortunately profound and radical in a world that is dying for this.

Every church leader should read this book.

I want to go buy the hard copy now to underline and take notes. I will be reflecting on the implications of this book for a long time... but am spurred to act today. Excellent writing. Compelling. Speaks truth to power.